Mau5in' Around
by RavingKangaroo
Summary: Another side story of my British character, Raven, where she meets a crazed mouse DJ, Deadmau5. She is taken captive of him and their robotic creators, Daft Punk, and struggles to break apart from these beings and return home.
1. Chapter 1

_Thump_

Bass!

_Thump_

Bass!

_Thump_

Bass!

'Here we go…' A soft voice of a girl sung.

Blue lights illuminate the room.

'Another night out.'

The lights get brighter.

'Waited all week.. just to get out.'

**She** could see the bodies of anonymous people moving around **her**. They're control, like **hers**, were taken by the beats of the music.

'Where do we come from?'

**She **moved to the flow, flexing hips, arms and legs.

'Do I know your name?'

The blue lights shifted around the room in spinning cycles. They drifted over the sea of people, giving **her** a brief glimpse at their appearance.

'Does it really matter?'

No, it didn't.

'In this light, we're all the same.'

**Raven** lifted her hands to the air, swinging her body in circles.

'Move for meeeeee~!' That soothing voice sung. 'I move for youuuuuu~!'

_God, I love this. I could die happy in this moment._

Raven loved to go to these raves every Friday night. It brought her much joy, like a child receiving candy. But it was a feeling that lasted for a very long time. That's probably why she couldn't miss one night, even if she tried. This night was probably one of the best she had ever experienced in a long while. It was easy to see why… tonight was a special guest. A DJ from across the Atlantic Ocean. No one knew if he/she was from the United States or Canada or maybe even Mexico.

But they had talent, who ever they were.

The blue lights faded out. The room was dark. People panted and cheered. Raven clapped with them, eager for the next song. They continued to wait in the dark. Everyone turned to where the DJ's box was stationed.

"C'mon, show your face!" One guy way back behind Raven shouted.

In response, a low bass was heard. It grew louder.

People began to cheer, unable to hold in their excitement.

Raven felt a hand grab her arm and hot breath came to her ear. "Raven? Is something wrong with the lights?"

Alesia had tagged along. This was her second time coming to the rave with Raven. She wasn't much of a night owl or a party person, but she would agree to go out and do wild things so long as Raven was with her, and it was an excuse to escape a boring three hours of bible study.

"Nah, its probably just for an effect. The DJ's playing on anticipation, for sure."

"Ok." Alesia whispered nervously.

A loud voice was heard in a mega phone over the loud bass.

"Hi friends." A young male.

People screamed back.

"Thank you England for having me here. I might stay awhile, do you guys mind?"

Louder screams returned a response.

"Awesome!" Raven shouted. Alesia continued to grip her friend's arm.

As the bass's pitch rose higher and higher, the melody became more clear and electronic. A low, bluish white light slowly faded in around the DJ's box. The outline of the man come into view?

"Wot the fuck is he wearing?" The guy just in front of the two girls said loudly to a girl next to him.

"Wot, indeed." Raven said to Alesia. They both stared.

The out line of a perfect circle with two huge disks onto and on either side sat on the DJ's shoulders.

"Who wears a hat like that to a rave?" Raven asked.

"Oh GOD!" Alesia gasped. "It's moving."

Raven squinted. The two disks on the top part of his head were twitching in different directions. They moved in response to the sounds around him.

"Whoa, its like he has huge ears on his head." Raven laughed.

"Are you supposed to be a mouse?" A girl way up in the front near the DJ yelled.

The DJ, turned his head, the ear like disks changing angles. "Yes. I am." He sounded really jolly. "Now, here is one of my favorites. Made this mix just for you."

The crowd cheered as the music let out a _BANG!_

Beats and thumps and synchronized sounds whipped about the room, and instantly, everyone became hypnotized again. The room was jumping to life and the lights above began to spin out of control, flashing bright colors of pink, orange, green, and blue.

Raven began moving again with the beats.

"Move, my friends! Feel my beats!" The DJ's arms lifted in the air, pulsing his aura to the crowd of techno drunk fools.

Everyone cheered and flailed, jumping and stamping the group with excitement.

_What animals. _Raven thought. She began to jump through the crowd looking for a space where it wasn't so crowded. This was too good of music to just jump around to; she needed to **dance.**

'DJ' That girls voice echoed in the speakers again.

'A light show.'

Off to the side of the DJ's box, Raven found the crowd less out of control and more broken up. She was still very close to the speakers; she could still feel the beat in her throat. Down her hands went on the floor and her legs swung up in the air.

Spinning.

'Speakers putting out'

Raven jerked her body in the flow of the rhythm, her whole center core flexing as she moved.

'Its where we're going'

Eyes closed, no need to see the real world now. The music was her guide.

'This way and that way.'

Breathing faster, heart beating harder.

'Getting passed the name.'

"Are you feeling me?" The DJ shouted in the mic. Screams.

'Doesn't really matter. In this light, we're all the same.'

"MOVE FOR ME!" He shouted.

'Move for meeeeeee~! I move for youuuu~!'

Raven gasped as the sounds beats came to an end. She stood back up, and wobbled. The pain was worth it. She never felt more alive.

She clapped with the rest of the people on the dance floor.

"Hey, nice moves." A girl yelled to her, patting her on the back.

She nodded and smiled.

The DJ spoke out. "You all know how to party!"

More screams, along with a guy in the audience yelling 'FUCK YEAH!'

Raven felt a hand on her arm again. She turned.

"Raven, I think I'm going to head home now. It's getting awfully late." Alesia said.

"Wot? It's not even midnight yet." Raven frowned.

"I know, but if I don't get home soon, my parents are going to nag me. Enjoy the rest of the night."

"Well... Okay. Go out the back way, its safer, more lit up."

Alesia slipped out of sight between the bodies of sweating ravers.

Raven turned her attention up to the DJ box and became shocked.

The light now beamed down on the DJ, revealing his full face. The hat, was no hat. It was more like a full faced helmet. But it looked like it was his actual face. The large circular eyes that were placed on the red mouse head, blinked at the crowd. A large bright grin stretched from each side of his face, as he turned to get a whole look at the confused people before him.

"Dude, how do you do that?" The guy who yelled 'fuck yeah' asked loudly.

The mouse DJ just tipped back his head, the circular eyes closing shut and laughed. The mouth moved with his laughter. It looked very real. _Freaky…_ Raven thought.

"Whaddya mean?" The DJ chuckled idiotically.

"You're face!" A girl shouted. "How are you making that mask move?"

The mouse laughed again, shaking his head back and forth with amusement. The guy wasn't going to tell. It was probably his signature to have that mouse helmet.

"You guys kill me. I don't know what you mean." He shouted back, grinning fiendishly.

"Are you going to play another song?" Some one in the back shouted impatiently.

"I apologize. My turn is over for tonight. The next DJ, Scooter, will be up next." Some people booed. Raven frowned.

She loved Scooter. He was a local DJ that had some good beats and rhythms. But he played at this location too much, and people were starting to get tired of him. It was rare to get a guy like this from across the globe to come and play.

"Thank you England for having meeee~!" The DJ sang into his mic, and sea of voices raw'd.

Raven cheered too and watched as the light above the mouse fade off and he vanished. He certainly has a creepy character to him. Still… she wondered how he got his mask to look so life like. As she watched his ears twitch back and forth and the lids of the eyes blink, she couldn't help but think it had to be real.

Being a mechanic, it was going to bug her all night unless she could figure out how it worked. Raven thought a moment.

_I could just sit here and ponder on this like a tard… or... I could innocently walk to the direction of the bathrooms. But dare I not ignore the obvious sign in the hallway that points to the right for the bathrooms, and not go left, toward one of the doors labeled back stage, and not use my special door pick I designed to get in to find this guy to check out his helmet design._

Raven smiled at her devious plan. Let's do it.


	2. Chapter 2

She crept through the hallway, and ignored the bathroom sign pointing to the right. She walked down the hall. She had only been down here when no one was around; only when the building was completely abandoned and empty, did she adventure and explore this place inside out. At the time, it had its own aura to it. But now… now it was full of people. Full of souls, personalities, minds, and ideas. It felt different now. And as she moved down the hall, towards the door she dared to enter, she heard laughter. Her eyebrows came down as her curiosity pulled her along.

In front of the door that read 'Back Stage.'

The sounds of a mad man singing and giggling to himself came out under the doorframe. Raven gulped. Maybe this wasn't such a hot idea… The guy seemed a bit off when he was out and performing. What if he is even worse in person?

Nope, gotta do this!

Raven gripped the doorknob tightly and slowly turned it. She then leaned her body on it carefully to crack it open and peer through.

"Bwahahaha!"

Raven gasped and pulled her head away quickly.

The shadow of the mouse DJ flashed over the door. Luckily, he didn't see her. She slowly returned her face to the door crack to look.

The mouse was dancing around like a lunatic, still wearing his helmet. He was very pleased with himself about something.

"Hehehehe~ Oh what a wonderful night. So many people enjoyed that show."

Raven softly chuckled to herself. Full of it, are we? She thought.

The DJ continued to frolic around, waving his hands as he gloated in his pride. The helmet bobbed up and down, the ears twitched slightly and the eyelids closed as he blinked. The corners of the idiotic grin on his face twitched as he chuckled.

Raven stared, mouth open. Even up close, she could not see how it could possibly be fake. It looked so god damn real!

"Ah, there were so many good dancers out there! I love to see my music move people like that. Bwahaha~!" He swung around in circles as if imitating the dances. The baggy pants around his waist and legs flopped about oddly. Raven stared. There was something weird about those too…

A strange bulge could be seen just bellow his lower back. It was moving too…

Raven curled her lip. That's really disturbing look. I can only imagine that to be-

Suddenly the bulge grew and a long red shape extended out of his pant line. It stretched out and circled around his body. A tail! A fucking tail!

"Oh shit!" Raven gasped out loud.

One ear twitch toward the door, then his head turned to look straight at her, his mouth now flattened in a straight line.

Raven's eyes went wide as she immediately pulled away from the door. She took several steps back in shock. It was too late, girl, he saw you. For sure, he saw you.

She was about to make a run for it, when the door swung open, and the DJ, now more mouse like then ever, stood in the door way, his idiotic smile large and his bug eyes fixed upon her.

"Oh jesus.." Raven said, as the mouse lunged forward and grabbed her hand. He then took it firmly in his and shook it up and down: a rather rough handshake.

"Congrats, friend. You discovered the truth!"

Raven only stared... her heart was pounding and she felt rather embarrassed that she was caught spying on him.

"…Truth?" She squeaked.

The mouse giggled excitedly. "Why yes!" He then pulled her with him to his room. "Please, come in! Chat!"

"Ah!" Raven stumbled after him. He was incredibly strong.

He pulled her in and shut the door. He remained facing the door, but turned his head, beaming over his shoulder at her.

Raven's comfort suddenly was gone. She held her ground.

"Uh… so… the head. And I guess… the tail. What kind of effect is that?"

The DJ cocked his head, still beaming. "Effect. Silly girl, it's no effect." He fully turned around. "It's how I am."

Raven gawked at the guy. "Uh-huh…"

"See?" He announced proudly, swishing his tail about and twitching his ears dramatically.

Raven looked back to his tail, noticing the tip looked rather peculiar. "Is that… a plug on the end of the tail?"

"Why yessss~ Yes it is." The mouse said ecstatically. "I'm glad you noticed. It's my recent update."

"Update?" Raven asked.

"Mhmmmm. I'm not naturally like this. I'm a design." He giggled again. "The only successful design~!"

Raven frowned. How did this sound so familiar?

"You weren't by chance… an experiment in a lab, were you?"

"No lab. Just a studio." The guy grinned. "Why?"

"Uh… nothing. I just know of an animal that was grown in a lab just out side the city."

"I know you do. You're best friends with the fella."

Raven looked up at the DJ, skeptically. The more she stared at the face of the mouse head; she could see the patterns of short, textured fur around the eyes and mouth. Maybe this guy is telling the truth. That was his real face.

"You've already got a love for freaks." He took his hands and placed his fingers together so that each lined up perfectly with the other.

"Pardon?" Raven asked.

"Oh.. nothing. It's another one of my upgrades. I can read you like a book. I know lots of details about you, Raven."

Raven flinched. "Ok dude… not cool. How do you know my name?"

"Like I said, my upgrade let's me know lots of stuff about you."

"Yeah, that's not weird at all." Raven said sarcastically. But truthfully, she was starting to feel very uncomfortable around this guy now.

"Don't worry. Nothing personal. Just basic details." His stupid smile seemed to be growing bigger by the minute. He was too amused by this. "Say.. I remember you from the crowd. You certainly know how to move to my music."

"..It was good music." Raven said softly.

"Why thank you. I wrote it myself."

Thankful of the subject change, Raven continued. "Its not a mix?"

"Nope. It's all original. Of course, I feature other vocalists to sing since I cannot. Hehehe~"

"Well, that's wonderful. I'm sure you're bound to get bigger the more you travel. I wish you luck."

The mouse blinked at her slowly now, still eyeing her extra carefully. He could sense she wanted to leave. "Why were you spying on me, lil Raven?"

"Uh.. I, Uh.. I was curious to know how your head's ears moved. That was before I knew it was real, of course."

The mouse chuckled. "Of course, of course. Say, you are a good dancer. A really good dancer. You know that? I'd like for you to dance for me again. Would you? Please?"

Raven swallowed nervously. "Wot do ya mean?"

"I really enjoyed how you danced earlier. You could definitely sense my pulses in the music, and you expressed it perfectly. I'd like you to dance at my other shows for people."

"Uh.. I don't know about that. See, I'm going to school here in this town. I can't just leave."

"You need no school if you already have a career." The guy said, sticking out a tongue from his over size mouth.

"You mean.. you are offering me a full time thing? To just dance at each of your showings?"

"Of course! You're perfect. You're the first lil lady to not be appalled by me. It's an added bonus that you are an amazing dancer."

"Gee, I don't know what to say.." Raven said, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Say yes." The mouse suddenly spun around, his tail coiling about him. "Say Yes! Say Yes!"

"Uh.." Raven was very much tempted about the idea to travel and see the world, and to make money off of one of the things she loved to do. But the fact that this guy was kinda crazy made it seem sketchy. Truthfully, he was right, his appearance didn't bother her that much. She was use to that kind of stuff. But his state of mind seemed mentally unstable. What was her bad luck in running into psychotic animal freaks?

"I should probably sleep on it. Why don't I get back to you on it? It sounds like a great offer, really. But I can't decide right on the dot. I'd have to arrange to quit school, get my stuff.. you know, if I was to agree and go." Raven said, gesturing toward the door so she could leave.

But the mouse did not move away from the door, he stood firmly to the spot and in the way.

His smile got a bit more demented looking as he chuckled softly.

"No Raven. You must not go. I can't risk you leaving and never coming back."

"Dude.." Raven said, her voice shaking with fear. "You can't just keep me here."

"Why not?"

Before Raven had time to react (scream, at that), the DJ came up and sealed his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhh.." He said leaning his face close to hers. "There, there."

Raven flailed trying to break free, but he had already grabbed a hold of the rest of her body with his other arm and she could feel his tail tightly curling around her legs.

"I'll give you something to relax." He chuckled. Keeping his other arm around her, he pulled her close to his chest so that he could pull something out of the dress coat he wore. Out, and unexpectedly, came a needle full of a bright red fluid. Raven's eyes went wide in panic. Oh god, no… oh god, please no!

She could only picture those thriller movies from this situation. Movies where they took the captured victim and stuck them with drugs in needles or up there nose, making them completely vulnerable. Then of course, rape.

She panicked more. No, it can't be like this! She was in the warehouse full of other people. Full of not just ravers, but other DJs, technicians, and managers. Someone was bound to walk by and hear them, maybe even just check in on this guy.

But the needle came to her neck and her whole body locked up in anxiety.

"Come now, its ok. This is going to make you feel really good~" He hummed to her.

Instant pain. The needle was in. He pushed down on the syringe. Suddenly her vains felt like they were going to pop out of her flesh.

Dear god, I'm about to get raped. That was the only thing she could think of.

But then… warm fuzzies filled her cheeks. Then her arms, then her chest, until the feeling covered her whole body. Her vision was becoming hazy and very colorful.

Ohhhhhhhhh my god.

Her body was numb. Her senses were firing. Oh my god. What the hell did he give her? She felt good. Very good.

He grinned down at her as he could see the effect going in on her face expression. "How do you feel?"

Her eyes glazed a bit as she looked up into this mouse man's face. She grinned stupidly up at him. "Oh my god." She laughed. "I'm fucking horny. What the hell man?"

The mouse blinked, his smiling face going somewhat blank. He then laughed. "Oh MY! Horny, huh?" He licked his upper lip. "Curious.. that mix hasn't had that effect yet. But it's different for everyone."

Raven shook her head slowly up at him, unable to really understand what he was saying.

"Ok, lil Raven. Let's fix that problem, shall we?" He said, curling his tail delightedly.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

That music was drilling into her skull. She loved it. _Loved it._

'Sometimes… things get complicated.' A heavy robotic voice roared around them.

The mouse DJ had taken her to the back part of his temporary room. There was a curtain that divided the front half, a couch, lights hanging all over the ceiling, and two large speakers just above the couch. The control box for the speakers was wedged into the wall. The mouse had his tail plugged to the AUX on the control box. As he had stated, he had his music files uploaded in his head. He could play them aloud so long as speakers were available.

Raven lay motionless on the couch, one leg up on the couch, the other hanging off. One hand lay on her chest the other hung looses above her head. Her gaze was fixed on the ceiling above her as she listened to the electronica music flooding her ears.

"Still feeling good?" the mouse asked, grinning eagerly.

"I feel… wow." Raven answered, her eyes still glossy.

The mouse giggled.

"What.. what is this music doing to me?"

"Oh, the music isn't doing anything, lil Raven. That mix I gave you… its designed to enhance the feeling you get when you hear my music, and my music alone. Let's say.. you are basically falling for my trance?" He licked his upper lip again, now sitting on the couch next to her.

Raven's gaze moved down so she could see the DJ. He continued to hold that stupid grin. His large, solid eyes gazed at her curiously. An idiotic grin formed on her face back at him. "Who ARE you?" Raven asked, giggling a bit.

"Hehehe~ I'm dead." He answered, still smiling.

"Haha… dead? Dead mouse man…" Raven chuckled to herself.

"Dead MAU5." He corrected her.

"Dead Mau5." She repeated.

"That's right." His ears curled back eagerly. "Say it again."

"Dead Mau5."

"Hehehe~ Again!"

"DEAD MAU5!" Raven shouted, bursting into laughter.

Dead Mau5 laughed with her. "That's my name!"

"Dead Mau5.. you're too hot to be dead.." Raven smirked. "too.."

He blinked at her, that large smile still fixed on his face. "Hot, huh?"

"God, yeah!" Raven sat up quickly, her head suddenly wobbling. Her vision was still hazy and it made it hard to hold herself still.

Dead mau5 cocked his head, his large ears moving forward again towards the girl.

Raven crawled toward him, still smirking. "Hot." She repeated. She was now crawling all over the DJ.

Dead Mau5 took her hands in his that were trying to feel his body. He giggled excitedly again. "Goodness.. My mix must turn you on."

Like an animal, Raven teased and nibbled at his hands that held hers fast. He only chuckled more. "Now, now.."

But Raven continued to try and win. She kept pushing to get ahold of him. "Hey, there.." Dead mau5 said.

She ignored him, still desperately trying to touch his body with her fingers.

"Have it your way then~" Dead mau5 said. With ease, he pushed her back down on her back, holding her arms up by her face. She smiled up at him, giggling. He continued to loom over her, his ears twitching delightedly.

"Bad, lil Raven. Naughty!" He told her.

"Meeee?" Raven asked, still giggling out of control.

"Mhmmm, yes you." He stuck his tongue out and bent down over her. He licked her cheek. "Mmmmm."

"S-stop that." Raven giggled more.

"But lil Raven, you asked for it!" Dead Mau5 took one of his hands off of hers and gripped her crotch.

Raven's eyes light up. "Whoa!"

Dead Mau5 laughed idiotically. "Oh, she's sensitive!"

His fingers felt her roughly. Raven twitched. The DJ's ears curved back as his expression on his face became rather sly. "It's time to have some fun~"

_Rip!_

"Oh fuck yesss.."

_RIP!_

"Give it to me!"

"AAAGH!"

The two had twined their bodies together, moving to the music that still shook the walls. Raven dug her fingers into Dead Mau5's back as she moaned in pleasure. The Mau5 seemed to glow with ecstasy… Literally.

The more and more they grinded, moved, pushed, pull… his large white eyes and the inside of his mouth glowed a brilliant cyan/white color. His mouth grew larger, his eyes wider. The glow reflected on Raven's face as they moaned together.

"The electricity… oh, baby, I feel it!" He gasped.

"God, its good." Raven groaned.

"Ah the electricity. Oh! Oh yeah. The ele- The ELECTRICITYYYYYYYYY!" Dead Mau5's eyes shut tight as his mouth's glow went sheet white. He let out one final groan. Raven shuttered as she felt his orgasm inside her. They both fell still. The music quickly faded off and Dead Mau5 pulled his tail out of the wall.

They both panted loudly.

"Heh.. hehe.. Hot." Dead Mau5 said, licking his lips. His eyes were still flickering with light, as well as his mouth.

Raven immediately fell back on the couch, lying on her back, gasping for air.

Dead Mau5 placed his feet on the floor, hunched over as he panted hard. His idiotic smile began to return to his face.

"You're staying, lil Raven."

Raven didn't open her eyes, she just continued to shake with pleasure as she tried to catch her breath.

"You are gonna be my dancer. My lil lover raver~" He hummed.

"So tired…" Raven whispered through her heavy breath.

"Oh.. Is that mix I gave you finally wearing out? Hehe." He slowly stood up, his legs wobbling weakly. "Of to sleep, are you?"

She didn't answer. Her mind was still spinning from her hazy vision, and her whole body was exhausted. She just laid there, waiting to be knocked out.

"MAU5, WE TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING A YOUNG HUMAN WITH YOU."

"But, Guy… she's a good dancer. You should have seen the way my music made her move~!"

"BUT LOOK HOW YOUNG SHE IS! GOODNESS, I BET SHE'S NOT EVEN OUT OF HIGHSCHOOL YET."

"She's perfect, Thomas. Perfect~ I scanned her history, and do you know what else she has encounter before me?"

A mechanically sigh. "WHAT?"

"A kangaroo lizard! She has found this large creature that was made in a laboratory and was completely unstable, and managed to tame and befriend it. Hehehe, she's a brilliant lil human."

"I DON'T KNOW, MAU5. EVEN THEN, THAT CREATURE WAS PROBABLY MADE BY HUMANS… PROBABLY NOT NEARLY AS COMPLEX AS YOU."

First her left eye opened, then her right. Those voices were so strange. Listening to them bat back and forth made her feel like she was still drugged. But she was pretty sure she wasn't. Her mind state felt pretty normal. What had happened? Where the bloody hell was she?

"Nhhhg." Raven groaned as she rolled over on her side, holding her stomach.

"PLEASE DON'T MOVE. YOU'RE BODY IS RECOVERING TO THE APODEMUS ELECTICUS MIX'S EFFECTS."

"I don't feel so…" Raven paused, closing her eyes. The light around her was making her naucious.

"RELAX, IT WILL PASS. JUST STAY STILL."

A pair of cold, metal hands gripped her shoulders and adjusted her over onto her back.

Raven continued to keep her eyes shut as she reached up and placed her hands over her eyes. "Who are you?" She asked.

"I'M A FRIEND. DON'T YOU WORRY. MY NAME IS GUY."

"Guy..? Why do you sound funny..?" Raven asked. His voice was very monotone, almost completely robotic.

"REST, RAVEN." The cold hand patted her left shoulder.

"What's wrong with her, Guy?" Raven knew that voice. It was the DJ. Suddenly, she felt panic.

"No!" Raven shouted, bolting up. "I gotta get out of here!"

The moment her eyes flashed open, the bright light stung her senses. She could make out the shape of that mouse DJ and a strange, silvery figure standing next to him. Guy, the one with the cold hands stood next to her reaching his hands out to stop her.

"PLEASE! YOU CAN'T MOVE, YOU'LL MAKE YOURSELF SICK." Guy told her.

Raven suddenly remembered the DJ mouse grabbing her and holding a needle to her. She remembered him drugging her. The rest of her memory was weak after that point. She did remember the mouse's face glowing brightly right in front of hers…

"No.. This guy…" Raven waved her hands in the direction she saw the mouse, closing her eyes because the nausea was returning.

She tried to stand up from where she lay, but Guy grabbed her shoulders again and was trying to lay her back down.

"No, no.." She begged. "Please.. you don't understand." She continued to panic, but she let Guy lay her down. The sickness was swimming over her. It felt extremely unpleseant.

"DON'T WORRY…" The other figure that was next to the mouse said. "WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. WE ARE FIXING THE PROBLEM."

Raven shook her head, putting her hands to her eyes and rubbing them roughly. "No more.. no more fixing things."

"MAU5, YOU REALIZE THE POOR GIRL CAN'T GO BACK NOW. SHE'S SEEN TOO MUCH."

"I know… I want to keep her, Thomas."

"She's not a pet, she's a human."

"I don't see what makes a difference. People keep mice as pets.. why can't I have a person as a pet? I'd take care of her.."

"YOU FRIGHTENED HER, GAVE HER YOUR UNSTABLE MIXTURE AND HAD INTERCORSE WITH HER, MAU5."

The DJ whined.. "But… she wanted it. She said she was horny. Doesn't that mean she wanted sex?"

Another mechanical sigh, this time from Guy. "MAU5, YOUR MIXTURE TRIGGERS DIFFERENT SENSES IN THE HUMAN BRAIN. WHEN YOU GAVE IT TO RAVEN, YOU MADE HER MIND THINK SHE WAS AROSED… SHE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED IT OTHERWISE."

"But she said I was hot!" The DJ argued.

"I don't remember… I don't.." Raven shook her head, hearing their conversations.

"WE KNOW YOU DON'T. ITS OKAY. PLEASE JUST REST. WE WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ONCE YOU WAKE."


	4. Chapter 4

She was in a different room, full of soft light blue and green lights. The lights were mainly on the floor and the ceiling. She was lying in a single bed, the room too dark to see anything else. She could see that there was a desk, covered in tools and miscellaneous objects across from the bed, and a doorway, which was cracked open. Brighter lights, along with the sounds of high pitches of techno music came creeping in to this small little room. Raven sat up, taking in her surroundings. She had almost forgotten where she was. At first, she thought she had woken up in her room back in the apartment. But then she remembered the mouse DJ. Dead mau5. That was his name.

She felt fear. And a few seconds later, hunger hit her rock hard.

"Hungry…" Raven groaned, holding her stomach tightly. Aside from that, she felt completely better.

She turned her attention to the slightly open door. She listened to the sounds of repetitive electronic rhythms and beats. It was a new type of sound she had never heard before. It was captivating. She slowly crawled out of the single bed and walked to the door. In the hallway, more blue lights hung above her, but were much brighter than the ones in the room. She gazed at them in wonder. The colored lights, along with the music… _I feel like I'm in some kind of sci-fi movie. _She thought.

Her feet guided her down the hallway, closer to where the sounds were coming from. She came to another door, this one extremely tall. She looked up at it and placed her palms down on it. It's cold touch and vibrations from the music were intriguing. A rush of excitement crept up her spin as she pushed the door open, and a loud pool of electronic sounds flooded her ears. Then her eyes were hit with lights. So many soft and colorful lights. This room was alive. It breathed, with the colored lights as the veins and the music as the arteries.

_So where is the heart..?_

Raven stepped into the room and immediately, a large black shape caught her eye. She noticed to her left, a large pyramid shape to the side. Up on top and behind the pyramid, she saw a man… or was it a man? She looked more. His face was oddly shaped and silver. He looked to be wearing a tight, black body suit. She stared in awe, realizing that the music was coming from him and the strange black pyramid. _Ok,_ she thought. _This is totally a sci-fi movie scene._

The music beats went on for a little longer, as Raven stood still, watching. It suddenly died down, and stopped.

"Whoa.." Raven whispered, blinking out of her trance.

"DO YOU LIKE IT?" The silver man asked, looking up from his pyramid stage.

"Uh.." Raven stuttered, kind of caught off guard. "Yeah.. its wonderful."

The silver man slightly bowed his head, turned, and jumped down behind the black pyramid. He then reappeared at its base as he slowly walked towards her.

Raven held her breath as she looked upon this fellow, as he got closer. He wasn't a man, was he?

"You're a… robot?" She looked at his face, which was quite clearly metallic. A visor of red light dots covered where his eyes would be.

He chuckled in an odd sort of electronic way. The word 'Perhaps' scrolled across his visor. "YOU CAN SAY THAT, I SUPPOSE."

Raven couldn't help but gawk at him. She couldn't believe how many more unusual beings she was meeting in such a short period of time.

"So your music.. if you're a robot, did it come from inside your head?" Raven asked, pointing a finger to her own forehead. She got the idea that this guy was like Dead Mau5, like how he said his music was in his memory.

"WHY NO. MY MUSIC… IT COMES FROM HERE." The robot placed a silver hand on his chest. He slightly bowed again as he did this. "THE MUSIC IS MY SOUL." And the word 'soul' appeared on his visor.

Raven looked confused. "This might sound a little harsh but… I've never heard of a robot having a soul. I mean… robots are built."

He chuckled again. "THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T FULLY AGREE TO YOUR TERM. TO YOU, I AM A ROBOT. BUT NOT QUITE…" He stopped, as Raven only continued to look more puzzled. "I CAN'T REALLY EXPLAIN… I AM NOT MADE BY A HUMAN, IF THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND."

Raven slowly nodded. She then looked about the room one last time at the lights… "So uh, Mr. Robot… where am I?"

The words 'Silly' now scrolled across his visor. "WELL, YOU ARE IN OUR STUDIO. THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE AND CREATE. AND MY NAME IS THOMAS, NOT MR. ROBOT."

"Thomas… wait.. I think I remember you. And there was someone who sounded like you… his name was Guy."

"YES. HE IS MY MUSIC COMPANION."

"And your studio..? Is that.." Raven paused, remembering everything from a several hours ago. "That the same studio that… Dead Mau5?"

Thomas nodded. The joints in his neck could be heard moving mechanically. "HE WAS BUILT HERE. HE IS MINE AND GUY'S CREATION."

Raven nodded slowly. Her gut was unsettled and she felt nervous once again. "Where… is he now?"

"DON'T YOU WORRY. HE'S ASLEEP. HE WON'T HURT YOU, I PROMISE." Thomas said, a smile icon scrolling across his face.

Raven frowned, but took his word. She then placed her hand on her stomach, looking a bit embarrassed. "You wouldn't by chance happen to have food, would you?"

Now the words 'hmmm' scrolled on Thomas's visor as he thought. "WE HAVE FOOD FOR DEAD MAU5 YOU COULD EAT. FRUIT, NUTS, RAW VEGETABLES… THE BASIC DIET OF A RODENT."

"Fruit sounds wonderful…" Raven said, smiling weakly.

"COME THIS WAY, THEN.. I WILL GET YOU SOME FRUIT." Thomas guided Raven back through the door she came through and down the glowing hallway. "Thomas, how did you do all this lighting? It's gorgeous."

"ALL OF IT IS ALSO OUR CREATION. OUR HOME, WE BUILT. IT IS ALSO A PART OF US."

"So does that mean Mau5 is apart of you too?"

"IN A WAY, YES. HE IS THE MOST DETATCHED CREATION WE HAVE MADE SO FAR. ALSO THE MOST STABLE LIVING BEING."

"Most stable…" Raven repeated, her teeth clenching a bit. "But not stable enough..?"

Thomas looked over his shoulder at her, his visor blank. "STABLE ENOUGH TO MOVE AROUND FREELY ON HIS OWN. OR SO WE THOUGHT… UNTIL YOU CAME ALONG."

Raven gulped, holding her arms close to her body. She did not wish to encounter him again. From what she heard and what she remembered, he took a huge advantage over her.

Thomas led her into a small room. It was the only room she had seen yet that didn't have an overwhelming amount of lights. Only a single white light glowed brightly in the middle of the ceiling. This room had several cabinets, counters, a single table right below the light, and one chair pulled up to the side. The floors in this room were extra cold on Raven's bare feet. She noticed that, in fact, this room was completely made out of metal; her guess, it was steal. Thomas walked up to a rather large, vertical, metal box that had a large handle on it and pulled it open. Cold air came leaking out of it. An ice box.

"WOULD YOU PERFER BLUEBERRIES OR KIWI? IT'S ALL WE HAVE LEFT…"

"Uh… Blueberries are fine." Raven replied.

Thomas reached in and pulled out a huge container. He set it down with a thud on the table and pried the lid off. There was a huge amount of berries jammed inside. Probably enough to feed someone for a week. "You've got a lot of blueberries left…" Raven commented.

"MAU5 LIKES THE STRAWBERRIES AND PEACHES THE MOST... HE'S NOT A FAN OF THE OTHER FRUIT."

Raven reached into the container and took a few of the berries. She popped them in her mouth. Very juicy. "Thank you." Raven said, taking more berries to satisfy her belly.

"EAT UNTIL YOU ARE FULL." Thomas said, the word 'full' appearing on his face. "YOU MIGHT HAVE TO EAT JUST FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNTIL EITHER GUY OR I CAN GO GET YOU OTHER FOODS."

"Wot?" Raven said, kind of confused. "How long am I having to stay here?"

Thomas fell silent.

Raven looked at him, feeling suddenly uncomfortable around him. His pleasant hospitality was gone, because of the way he stared at her so still.

"I HOPE YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T LEAVE AT ALL…" He said, lifting his hands up in front of them and waving them slowly, "IT'S NOTHING WE CAN CONTROL… YOU'VE LEARNED TOO MUCH ABOUT MAU5. WE CAN'T RISK YOU RETURNING INTO SOCIETY AND TELLING ABOUT HIM. PEOPLE MUST NOT KNOW WHAT HE REALLY IS."

Raven's eyes were large. "Wot are you saying…? I can't.. go home? Ever?"

Thomas's face scrolled an unhappy smiley. "NO.."

Raven felt a little of anxiety and disbelief build up inside her. She laughed a little. "Look, you have my word. I won't tell a soul about you and Dead Mau5. You can trust me. I'm friends with a mutant, I can keep secrets like that safe."

"I'M SORRY, RAVEN. WE CAN'T TAKE THAT CHANCE."

"No, you can't just keep me here!" Raven said loudly.

"IT'S NOT OUR CHOICE. PLEASE UNDERSTAND. YOU MAY NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE, BUT WE CAN'T BE KNOWN BY THE HUMANS. WE MADE A DEAL WITH THE GOVERMENTS OF EVERY SUPERPOWER THAT WE WOULD KEEP OUR IDENTITY A SECRET FROM SOCIETY. IF THEY KNEW THAT YOU DISCOVERED US, THEY WOULD PUT YOU TO DEATH. TO KEEP YOU SAFE, AND US SAFE, WE HAVE TO KEEP YOU WITH US."

Raven shook her head back and forth slowly. "No.. no they… they wouldn't. They.." But the more she thought about the little faith she had in Grand Old England, she felt the fear of truth.

Thomas still had the unhappy smile text on his visor. "I'M SORRY. MAU5 WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE A HUMAN FRIEND, IT SEEMS. HE SAW YOU AND KNEW IF YOU LEARNED ABOUT WHAT HE WAS, WE WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO KEEP YOU. THAT WAS HIS PLAN…"

"The… the damn bastard!" Raven yelled, slamming her fist down on the table. "This isn't fair!" Tears were coming to her eyes.

"NO, IT ISN'T…" The silver robot replied. "BUT LISTEN TO ME RAVEN… WE CAN HELP GIVE YOU A GOOD LIFE. YOU WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WORK AND EXPENSES AND MONEY, ALL THAT HUMAN RUBBISH. WE CAN SUBSTAIN YOU HERE."

Raven frowned, glaring at him. "That's no way to live… I'm still human. I can't be cooped up here."

"GUY AND I WILL FIND A WAY TO GIVE YOU ENTERTAINMENT. PLEASE… THERE IS NO OTHER CHOICE."

Raven continued to glare. But then she remembered Mau5's words… "Dead Mau5 promised me that I could tour with him and dance at his concerts… Was he lying? Can I do that?"

Thomas cocked his head, the words 'oh dear' scrolled by his visor. "WELL… I DON'T SEE WHY YOU COULDN'T. YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE UNDER STRICT WATCH, ALONG WITH MAU5 IF YOU DO."

"But it would be the closest thing I have to encounter society. And I'd be doing something I love."

"YOU WOULD TOUR WITH DEAD MAU5? ARE YOU SURE YOU WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT?"

"…Yes..." Raven said, even though she was sure she wasn't. But she had a plan. If they weren't going to let her leave.. if she toured with Dead Mau5, there might be opportunities for her to run away.

"WELL… OKAY… I WILL TALK TO GUY ABOUT IT, AND OUR SUPERVISOR. IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE MAU5 CAN GO TOURING AGAIN, HOWEVER. HE STILL IS UNSTABLE AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH HIM SOME MORE, SO WE CAN PREVENT HIM FROM ATTEMPTING TO STEAL ANOTHER HUMAN."

"Sure, a'right." Raven said.

"Thomassss~ What's all the noise I hear in here? Oh Raven~!"

Raven felt the hair on her neck stand straight up. She turned around quickly.

The idiotic rodent face of Dead Mau5 greeted her with a huge smile. "Hiya."

Raven stayed glued to the spot, terrified. She couldn't trust this guy now.

"NOW, MAU5…" She heard Thomas begin, but he was already coming towards her, arms spread wide.

"Are ya feeling better, lil Raven?" He asked cheery.

Raven quickly stepped back and around the table, next to Thomas. She held her arms out in front of her as a shield. "Don't…" She said simply.

"But.. Raven…" Mau5 said, his voice fading from happy-go-lucky to concerned.

Thomas shook his head, putting a hand on Raven's shoulder. She flinched from his cold hands, but didn't take her eyes off her threat.

"MAU5, YOU SEXUALLY HARASSED THIS GIRL. YOU CAN'T EXPECT HER TO BE WELCOMING TO AFFECTION."

"But.. I didn't intend to hurt her. I didn't know she didn't want it." He whined, his large, red ears drooping down and his eyes widening. His large grin now fell down to a huge frown.

"MAU5… YOU TWO ARE GOING TO BE LIVING TOGETHER NOW. BUT YOU CAN'T EXPECT HER TO LIKE YOU RIGHT AWAY. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REGAIN HER TRUST…"


	5. Chapter 5

"RAVEN, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE SOME TIME TO LOOK AROUND? THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR NEW HOME… IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO LEARN WHERE EVERYTHING IS."

…

Raven frowned, thinking back on Thomas's words. She didn't want to think of this as her new home. She sat in the single chair that was in their so-called 'kitchen'. Thomas had shooed Mau5 out and said they had business to attend to with Guy.

_Sure… okay_, Raven thought. She very much appreciated the hospitality that Thomas provided her, but she felt uncomfortable about this whole situation.

How could they expect her to just be okay with the fact that she had no choice but to give up her life and live in isolation, just because this stupid Mau5 had to tell her he is not human. That he is a… Raven sighed. She didn't know what he is.

Leaning forward in the chair, Raven took her hands and rubbed her face slowly. "I really… didn't ask for this…" She grumbled.

She looked back up and out the door to the hallway. She stared at the blue lights illuminating the darkness.

Taking her hand into a fist and placing it under her chin, she grinned a little, "I'll admit. This place is beautiful." Being a raver at heart, she couldn't resist the bright glowing colors of such lights.

Alright, why not, let's take a look around and see what other amazing things these robot have built here.

Raven stood up and headed out the hall. Instead of going back the way Thomas had guided her, she turned to the right and walked on. The walls were pretty much blank, except for the random collection of paintings, each of a pyramid. Raven observed them as she continued to walk on. Each painting seemed to be the same pyramid, but painted differently. She remembered the large pedestal that she had found Thomas on. It looked like a black pyramid shape. What was it with all these pyramids?

She continued to go down the hall until it turned to the left. At the end was a door. Raven was caught by surprise to see a glowing red light illuminating this part of the hallway just above the door. The contrast of it with the blue was striking… and worked well together. She came up to the door, hesitating. She knocked and waited. Nothing. She knocked again. Still nothing. Raven then tried the handle. It turned with ease and the door opened.

_Should I….? My mischief has already gotten me in a lot of trouble as it is…_

She went in.

Once she opened the door, a series of several lights flickered on. These lights appeared to be fluorescent; filling the room with a bright, white light that had a hint of blue. It made it much clearer to see everything compared to the lights in the hall.

Raven scanned the room's content. There was long, single bed up against the left side of the room, a black entertainment center on the opposite wall, a giant, wooden wardrobe across the room from her, and several lights and speakers hooked up to the ceiling that were turned off. Raven walked over to the entertainment center. On the shelves was a stereo system, a view brief cases that were closed shut, some test tubes set up with wires, a Bunsen burner, eye droppers, spoons and beakers. There were jars of different colored powers and liquids that were labeled randomly set next to all the equipment.

"Wot the hell is all this..?" Raven whispered.

She picked up one of the jars that had a white powder in it. It's label read 'Benzoylmethyl' and in parentheses, 'Cocaine.'

"Oh shit…" Raven whispered putting it down, and picking up another jar to look. This one read 'Lysergic Acid Diethylamide'.

"LSD…" Raven said. Her hand shook a bit as she placed that jar down too. "Are these all drugs?"

She picked up another bottle, somewhat relieved to read 'Iron' on it. Another one said 'Ethanol'.

"Wot is all this for?" Raven then looked over at the suit cases. She clicked the lock open and pulled the lid up. She gave off a loud gasp. Inside, were four syringes, full of an intense red liquid. They looked like the exact same things that Mau5 had given her. She felt panic build up inside her as she realized that she probably shouldn't be in this room. She quickly turned back around and looked at the rest of the room. This could be…

Raven looked just next to the bed that was now opposite of her. In the wall was a large audio outlet for a rather large plug. Her back was breaking out in a sweat. _Yeah, this is his room. You need to get out of here._

Raven turned back towards the exit so she could leave, when the door opened again. A rather glum looking Dead Mau5 walked in, his head held low, and a tail dragging on the ground. He immediately perked up when he saw that a curious little Raven had wandered into his room. His large, idiotic grin returned to his face and his ears stood up. "Oh, Raven~" He said.

Raven stood still, feeling suddenly cornered. "I…" She began. This situation was too familiar and unsettling.

Mau5 could see the uneasiness on the girl so he did not approach. He took his hands and curiously wove them together as he stared. "What are you doing in here?" He asked.

"I shouldn't be in here. I was just.. looking around… like Thomas told me to."

Mau5 continued to hold his ground in front of the door, not daring to frighten Raven any more. "Oh…" He said, his large, white eyes still observing. Those eyes were so blank; hard to read. It made Raven feel even more uncomfortable.

"I.. I'm just passing through…" She began, when she stopped and observed Mau5's appearance. He stood, wearing a bright sky blue hoodie, a solid white shirt underneath, green cargo pants, and a pair of solid black converse. Last she had seen him, or remembered seeing, was his tux suit that he wore to his concert. It had made him look… detached from everyone else. But this… it made him look more human.

Mau5 cocked his head slightly as Raven stared back at him. "Okayyyy…?" He said, waiting for her to say more.

"Uh… I'm just going to leave now… Going to continue looking around."

Dead Mau5 blinked slowly, but did not say a word. His smile was gone and he had just a plain look about him.

Raven was afraid to try and walk past him out the door. She didn't want him to pull out another one of his drugged needles again. But to her surprise, Mau5 took a step to the side, leaving the doorway clear and wide open. Slowly, Raven stepped forward, keeping herself on guard and facing Mau5. Once she got passed him, she quickly moved out back into the dim hallway. She walked with a fast pace, looking back over her shoulder several times. The whole time, Mau5 did not follow, nor did he say anything. He just stood there in his room, watching her go.

Raven shivered, feeling creeped out. Well, at least nothing bad happened this time.

Raven moved back down the hallway, towards the large room with the black pyramid. She stopped suddenly. There was a sound. A loud bass hummed throughout the entire place. She looked about all around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. It then suddenly stopped. A few seconds later, Mau5 came around the corner. Raven turned to look at him. "Wot.. wot was that?"

Mau5 gave her a grin. "That was the doorbell." He walked right passed her and turned down another hallway.

Raven blinked, astonished. "That was the doorbell?"

She decided to follow Mau5 to see the door to their Studio. She kept her distance. She could tell that Mau5 knew she was following, because he kept looking over at her as he turned another corner and smiling to himself. She wrinkled her nose. _Wot is this guy's deal?_

Eventually, they came to a large room that had two large sofas, bookcases and other decorations all along the walls. Thomas and another robot, which Raven guessed was Guy were already in the room and had answered the door. Mau5 came bounding over to them with excitement. "Marieeee~!" He shouted with glee.

Raven approached the group with caution to see who this visitor was. Thomas turned to see Raven and a smiley icon scrolled over his visor. "RAVEN. THERE YOU ARE. GUY AND I JUST INFORMED OUR SUPERVISOR ABOUT YOU."

As Raven came up to complete the circle of people, she saw a Woman, standing in a formal white dress shirt and a slim black skirt that went to her knees. She had long, wavy black hair that was pulled back behind her shoulders. She had striking bright green eyes and a rather confident smile. "Hello there, Raven. My name is Marie. Marie Akisha." She held her hand out to her.

"Nice to meet you." Raven replied, taking her hand and shaking it.

"The boys filled me in with everything I need to know. I'm quite sorry you got mixed up in all this. Don't you worry, I won't let anyone else find out you are in on all this."

Raven raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"MARIE IS LIKE OUR MANAGER, SINCE WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE A MUSIC BAND. SHE WORKS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE, BUT SHE IS MORE ON OUR SIDE." The golden robot next to Thomas said. He then held his hand out to her too. "AND I AM GUY. REMEMBER ME?"

Raven shook his hand, which was cold and metallic. "Somewhat, yes."

"Thomas told me you want to be apart of Dead Mau5's tour as a dancer. I'm sure I can pull a few strings to make that possible. However, we will have to come up with some sort of way to make it look like you aren't close to him. Perhaps we will have to make you your own costume to make you match with the mysterious look that the boys are pulling off." Marie said.

Raven heard Mau5 make a noise next to her.

"I'M SURE YOU WILL THINK OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL, AS ALWAYS, MARIE." Guy said, his helmet lighting up on the sides with multi colors.

Marie smiled at him. "Don't worry, I never let you boys down."

Raven noticed a rather strange look to Marie's eyes as she looked at Guy. She blinked at the two of them and then looked to her side at Thomas. "Um… perhaps I can help think of something to wear? I've come up with several outfits for raves before. I'm sure I can design something."

Thomas nodded. "CERTAINLY. WE WANT YOU TO HAVE SOMETHING YOU WILL BE COMFORTABLE IN." He turned over to Marie. "WHEN CAN YOU COME BY AGAIN? PERHAPS YOU AND RAVEN CAN WORK TOGETHER ON HER DRESS DESIGN WHILE GUY AND I WORK MORE ON MAU5?"

Marie nodded. "Sure thing. I can come by tomorrow. I just need to set up this new idea before we can begin anything. That will take some time. But I will definitely be back."

"THANK YOU, MARIE."

"Anything for you boys. I must be off now. Lots of paper work to fill out for this. I'm going to need to get the consent of my boss if we are going to get Raven on the tour. See you boys later. Good to meet you, Raven"

Raven nodded, attempting to return a friendly smile.

Marie opened the door, giving Guy a last look and stepped out. Raven looked out and saw nothing but another dark hall outside of this studio. Where could it be located?

"WE CAN COUNT ON MARIE TO GET YOU IN ON THIS TOUR. SHE'S THE BEST." Guy assured Raven.

Raven nodded.

"COME ON, GUY, LET'S SET UP THE WORK SHOP. WE NEED TO GET WORKING ON MAU5." Thomas said, turning his attention to Dead Mau5. "GIVE US A FEW MINUTES, AND MEET US IN THERE, OKAY?"

Mau5 slumped his shoulders but nodded. "Okay, Thomas, okay…"

With that, both Guy and Thomas walked off back into the maze of hallways, perfectly in sync with their steps. Once they were gone, Mau5 looked over to Raven, an eager smile now forming on his face. "You… want to tour with me?"

Raven frowned a bit, afraid to give him the wrong impression. "Well… the idea sounded appealing the first time you offered it to me. Dancing is something I love. And to do it professionally at raves would be amazing."

Mau5's tail swished about, his smile getting large. "Oh, I'm so happy! We'd make a wonderful team. My music and your moves. It will be the best show ever."

Raven flushed, a little flattered by his comment. "Well… I don't know about that. But yes, I want to tour. It will be the closest thing I have to socializing with other people."

Dead Mau5 looked down a bit, nodding. He must understand that she wasn't happy that he put her in this situation. But he also seemed still very excited about it. "Oh… we're going to be such a wonderful team~" Mau5 said, still looking down, thinking about it future vision of their success.

Raven couldn't help but make an amused chuckle. This guy sure knew how to get into something.

"Raven.. would you like to see Thomas and Guy work on me?"

"Huh?" Raven asked. "Watch them work on you?"

Dead Mau5 nodded, grinning his large grin. "Mhm~ It's going to be interesting. Plus, you can understand a bit more about us. And me~" He hummed.

Raven thought on this. She still didn't really understand these beings. They weren't human. Humans didn't build them. So what were they?

"Okay. I will come watch."


	6. Chapter 6

"Thomas it hu- _**kkkktzz**_ aaaah!" Dead Mau5 twitched violently.

"MAU5, I KNOW IT HURTS. JUST HOLD STILL. THE MORE YOU MOVE, THE LONGER IT'S GOING TO TAKE." Thomas said.

Mau5 lay on his stomach on a stretcher, giving an unpleasant frown. His hoodie and shirt were removed and a metal plate was attached to his upper spine. Raven had never noticed it before. Guy had said this thing was a straight opening to his memory. It was how both he and Thomas were going to 'tweek his brain waves.' Raven wasn't too sure what this process was. She had the idea that they were going to somehow make Mau5 mentally more stable. How they were going to do that, Raven had no idea. Hopefully by watching, she would understand.

Guy and Thomas both stood over Mau5, Thomas holding long and thin, metal tweezers. Guy was gripping Mau5's upper arms, trying to hold him still for Thomas. The metal tweezers prod and nicked the plate on Mau5's back, causing the crazed rodent to twitch. That plate much be filled with sensitive nerves.

"I ALMOST GOT IT OPEN…" Thomas said. Carefully, he nudged the plate to get a seal on it to slightly pop up off the surface. He then easily took the tweezers and gripped the seal, pulling it up and open. The plate on his back started to glow that cyan blue that his eyes and mouth had done.

"Oooooh~ That feels so weird." Mau5 giggled.

"OKAY, READY FOR THE NEXT STEP." Thomas said.

Guy nodded and rummaged around in the black bag next to him. He pulled out another tool that looked like a two-toothed pitchfork. Guy hit a button on it and it began to glow a bright yellow.

"What's that do?" Raven asked, her eyes wide. These kinds of tools were too scientific for her. But she couldn't help being curious. She had quite the love of building things herself.

"THIS.." Guy replied, holding it down at an angle now. "..WILL BE HOW I MANIPULATE THE WAVES PULSING IN MAU5'S BRAIN. WE ARE GOING TO HOOK UP THOMAS IN-SYNC TO MAU5 AND I WILL SCAN HIS WAVES. WHEN MY SCANNER FINDS A WAVE THAT ISN'T FUNCTIONING RIGHT, THOMAS WILL SENSE IT. HE WILL TELL ME THE MOMENT HE SENSES IT AND I WILL STRIKE IT DOWN."

Raven blinked in amazement. "So wot.. you will be able to kill all the defects in Mau5's brain and make him perfect?"

Mau5 giggled, listening to their conversation. An unhappy face blinked on Guy's face helmet. "SADLY, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT EASILY. BY STRIKING THE NERVE, WE WILL ONLY BE CHARGING IT, GIVING IT THE CHANCE TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY.. OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, BETTER. INHANCING LIFE IS TOO COMPLICATED TO BE AN EASY TASK."

Raven shrugged. "So why don't you just keep striking all the bad nerves in him until they all start working right?"

Then, a face with X'd eyes appeared on Guy's helmet, and Raven already knew before he explained. "SHOCKING HIS BRAIN WAVES TOO MUCH COULD KILL HIM. THIS PROCESS WILL HAVE TO BE DONE ON AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME."

"So, estimating, how long then would it take to make him perfect?" Raven.

Both Thomas and Guy looked at each other then back to Raven. "HE COULD NEVER BE PERFECT." Thomas explained. "WE ARE NOT THE MAIN CREATORS. WE, BEING CREATIONS, COULD NEVER MAKE SOMETHING PERFECT. HOWEVER, WE AIM TO MAKE HIM AS HUMAN AS POSSIBLE. SO THAT HE MAY UNDERSTAND HUMANS MORE THAN WE CAN. BUT TO REACH THAT LEVEL, IT MIGHT TAKE US A FEW MORE YEARS. THERE ARE MANY BRAIN WAVES THAT ARE OFF IN HIS PATTERN. AND BRAIN WAVES THAT HAVE BEEN STRUCK TO FUCTION RIGHT CAN GO BACK TO BEING DEFECTIVE OVER TIME."

Raven gulped. Sounds like tedious work that requires a lot of patience. But seeing that these two were obviously more computer like than human, they probably had what it takes to get Mau5 the way they wanted him. But Main Creators… what did Thomas mean by that? She decided to keep her questions at a minimum so the two robots could work.

"OKAY, MAU5. WE ARE ABOUT TO SYNC." Thomas announced.

Dead Mau5 looked over his shoulder at Thomas and grinned. "Okaaayyy~"

Guy reached for the top of his black coat and unzipped it half way. He pulled it back to reveal his chest. Raven marveled at his appearance. He was completely made out of some kind of black coat, and silver lining traced his human shaped body. He looked so unreal. Thomas opened a latch where a human heart would be on his chest. Inside it looked to be a plug outlet. Raven raised an eyebrow. Thomas proceeded and grabbed Dead Mau5's tail.

"STARTING SYNC," He said. He then jammed Mau5's plug tail into his chest. The two of them immediately twitched and Thomas's visor screen light up random patterns of lines. Raven watched with amazement as Thomas slowly lumped over, his visor going blank. Mau5 let out a strange sound and his eyes closed shut. In response, Thomas's visor light up brightly and the word 'successful connection' scrolled by. Guy nodded and then lifted his tool just above Mau5's metal spine plate. "BEGINNING THE SCAN."

Guy lightly touched the plate, ignoring the fact that Mau5's right arm flailed out violently in reaction. He must be out cold during this.

Thomas stood perfectly still as Guy slowly glided the tool around the plate. Suddenly Thomas shouted "DEFECT!" Guy struck down hard on the plate and sparks of electricity flew from it. Mau5's ears twitched up and around as one of his brain waves began to recharge, but he remained to appear unconscious.

Guy then continued to scan slowly over the plate, moving only a millimeter per five seconds. Again, Thomas yelled, "DEFECT!" And Guy struck again. And once again, sparks flew and Mau5's body flinched in response.

Raven blinked several times. It seemed so simple and so unrealistic. If people knew of this; that people's brains could be 'rebooted' so easily… the world sure would be different. She knew, there could be several good reasons why these three kept this method to themselves. Perhaps it only worked for them because they could connection to each other, like computers.

By the tenth time Guy had struck Dead Mau5's spine plate, Thomas began to wobble a bit on his feet. He must be feeling the pain that Mau5 was from the shock. Guy looked up at his partner.

"ENOUGH?" He asked.

Thomas was silent for a second, trying to balance himself. "ONE MORE… HE CAN TAKE ONE MORE."

A concerned face appeared in a pixilated image on Guy's helmet. But he looked back to his work and began to scan again. It took longer than the rest of them, but eventually Thomas found another bad wave and yelled "DEFECT!" Guy struck the spine plate. The electricity hissed as it popped around Mau5's twitching body. Thomas made a electronically gasp, pulled Mau5's tail free of his chest and quickly caught himself before he fell over. Guy moved the tool away from Mau5 and came to Thomas's side. "ARE YOU OKAY?"

Thomas nodded slowly. He then looked to Raven. "WOULD YOU MIND… IF I TAKE YOUR CHAIR?"

Raven jumped to her feet, feeling embarrassed for not helping. "Oh! Not at all. Here..." Raven came to Thomas's side, and she and Guy helped him to sit down. Thomas sat and lowered his head.

"Wot happened?" Raven asked.

"MAU5 IS GETTING TOO STRONG FOR ME."

"Wot do you mean?"

Thomas looked up and the word 'human' appeared on his face. "MAU5 HAS HUMAN DNA IN HIM. THAT DNA CODE IS STARTING TO BECOME MORE DOMINATE, AND IT IS MAKING IT HARDER FOR US TO SYNC WITH HIM. ITS TIRING WORK…"

Raven stared at Thomas as he rested in the chair, thinking to herself. Her curiosity was building… she had to know.

"Wot are you guys?"

Both of them were silent. Guy placed his tool back into the black bag and stood next to Raven.

"WE AREN'T FROM YOUR PLANET, RAVEN." Guy said.

She sort of figured as much. But it was still a big shock. "You're aliens?"

The word 'yes' scrolled on Thomas's face. "YOUR IDEA OF 'ALIEN' IS NOT THE SAME AS WHAT WE ARE. AND THERE ISN'T AN EASY WAY TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE ARE IN WORDS."

"But the Main Creators… Who are they? Did they send you here?"

"WE WERE SENT HERE TO OBSERVE. WE DID. FOR SEVERAL DECADES." Guy turned his head to Thomas as he spoke, "THEN OUR MAIN CREATORS GAINED THIS CONCLUSION ABOUT YOUR RACE: YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE. YOU HUMANS ARE DOOMED TO DESTROY YOURSELVES. AND SO OUR CREATORS KEPT US HERE AS A TEST. THEY WANTED US TO TRY AND HELP YOU PREVENT YOUR TERRIBLE FATE."

"I dun' understand. How could the two of you possibly help all of humanity? I mean, its clear to see that we will eventually kill ourselves, whether it be a world wide attack of panic and paranoia, or a nuclear war... whichever comes first. How could just the two of you change us and make us survive?"

"NOT CHANGE.. INFLUENCE." Guy made a sigh. "THAT IS WHY IT WAS A TEST. WE MAY, OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HELP YOU. IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW HUMAN NATURE TAKES ITS PATH WITH US IN THE EQUATION."

"How are you influencing humans?"

"The… music." Raven heard the voice rising behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see that Mau5 was awake and had propped himself up on his side. He gazed at Raven, wearily, but with a soft, idiotic smile. "Our music kills their anger."

Raven looked confused and turned her attention back to Guy, looking for a clarification.

"MAU5 IS RIGHT. THE MUSIC WE MAKE HAS HIDDEN SOUND WAVES IN IT THAT REACTS TO THE HUMAN MIND. THESE SOUNDS HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON THE MIND THAT DISCHARGES ALL NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS INFLUENCE AS THEY LISTEN TO OUR MUSIC. BUT THE MORE THEY HEAR OUR MUSIC, THE LESS THEY WILL HAVE THOUGHTS OF ANGER, GREED, BETRAYAL.. AND SO ON. IN A WAY… WE ARE TEACHING THE HUMAN BRAIN TO KEEP A LIMIT ON THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS A PERSON MAKES."

Raven listened, wide eyed. "That's.. incredible. And Mau5's music is like that too?"

"IT'S NOT NEARLY AS STRONG, BUT YES. HIS MUSIC HAS AN INFLUENCE TOO. BECAUSE HE IS PART HUMAN, IT IS MORE DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO CREATE SUCH SOUND WAVES IN HIS WORK, BUT HE DOES HAVE THE INCREDIBLE GIFT OF BEING ABLE TO MAKE MUSIC THAT CAN RELATE TO THE HUMAN THOUGHT PROCESS."

"Huh.." Raven said. "No wonder is sounds so good."

Mau5 giggled. "Lil Raven likes my music~" He said, proudly, his tail swishing slowly about.

Raven looked back over to Dead Mau5, slightly frowning. "He doesn't seem any different."

"NO.. IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME AND MANY OTHER PROCEJURES BEFORE HIS ACTIONS SIGNIFIGANTLY IMPROOVE." Thomas said, now standing from the chair. "BUT HE HAS HAD ENOUGH FOR TODAY."

"Thomas, is it dinner time?" Mau5 asked.

A smiley icon appeared on Guy's face and Thomas nodded. "YES, MAU5."


	7. Chapter 7

All four of them sat in the pathetic excuse they called a kitchen. The room was so empty, aside from the one icebox, table and chairs they had moved in to sit.

Guy had graciously looked up a number to order a pizza for Raven. However, since Raven sounded the most human of the group, she ordered the pizza, and answered the door when it was delivered. She didn't mind… she was use to that; just not use to ordering in a place that wasn't her home.

Raven sat at the table in one of the chairs, awkwardly eating her pepperoni supreme as she watched the robotic men around her. Dead Mau5 sat to her right, with a giant bowl of nuts and vegetables in front of him. He munched on his meal like an over grown rat. Well… that is kind of what he is.

Thomas and Guy were to her left. Thomas sat while Guy stood over them as they both started to write a list of things they would need for Raven.

"It's called a grocery list." Raven had told them.

Thomas sat there, his visor blank and he looked up at Raven. "UH… WHAT FOOD DO YOU WANT?"

Raven looked up from her box of pizza. Her mind was blank. "Errr… It.. really doesn't matter to me. I'm fine with whatever," She told him.

Thomas's visor remained blank as he stared silently at her. "I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO GET YOU. ALL I KNOW IS FOOD FOR MAU5. WOULD YOU WANT US TO JUST KEEP ORDERING YOU PIZZA FOR EVERY MEAL?"

Raven made a face. Pizza every day would get old really fast. "No, no…" She started. She put the back of her hand to her mouth as she thought. "Well… I like Asian food. Any Asian food, like ramen, or pre-cooked sesame chicken, stir fry… I'm pretty sure they make that pre-made and sell it in the frozen food isle at grocery stores…"

Thomas cocked his head at her. A single question mark scrolled on his face. He then looked down and started writing word-for-word what she said. _Any Asian food: Ramen, or pre-cooked sesame chicken or stir fry… it is all pre-made in frozen food isle at grocery stores. _He then looked back up. "ANYTHING ELSE?"

"Oh.. Tea. British Breakfast Tea. I don't drink coffee…"

Thomas scribbled it down.

"Do you guys have a source for hot water?"

"YES, THERE IS A SINGLE SHOWER THAT MAU5 USES." Guy said.

"No, I mean like boiling water."

Both Thomas and Guy looked at each other then back at Raven. They both had question marks on their helmets. "WHAT?"

"You know… to make tea, you have to boil water and then set the tea bag full of herbs in the water."

"HOW WOULD YOU NORMALLY BOIL THE WATER TO MAKE TEA?"

"I would usually just heat up a kettle of water on the stove…" Raven explain. Then she realized the big problem: These guys didn't have a stove. Or a microwave.

"Uh.. you guys don't have a money limit, do you?"

"The military people pay for anything we want~" Mau5 said cheerfully, with a mouth full of carrots.

"GOVERNMENT," Guy corrected Mau5. "MILITARY ARE THE ONES WITH THE GUNS WHO PROTECT THE COUNTRY."

"..Or something along those lines…" Raven muttered. "Well, if that's the case, we're going to need a stove, microwave and a kettle. I can't make any of my food unless I have stuff to cook with."

Thomas nodded, writing down the other items needed.

"Do you have silverware? And mugs?"

"I'LL ADD THOSE TOO."

"I'm sorry.. I hope this isn't asking too much."

Guy looked up from Thomas's writing and the smiley face appeared on his helmet. "NOT AT ALL. WE WANT YOU TO FEEL AT HOME HERE. WE WILL GET YOU WANT YOU NEED TO DO SO."

Raven smiled weakly. "Thanks…"

"ANYTHING ELSE?"

"Hmm.. some fruit would be nice. Strawberries and grapefruit? And perhaps some milk for breakfast?"

"Ooooh~ I like strawberries." Dead Mau5 said, his eyes lighting up with glee.

"MIGHT AS WELL ADD THAT? WE NEED TO GET MORE FOR MAU5 TOO." Thomas said, scribbling quickly.

"That should be good for the food." Raven said.

Mau5 leaned over and sniffed Raven's pizza that she had not touched in a while. "What is…?" He asked, curiously.

"Pizza. It's pretty much cheese, meat, tomato sauce and bread.." Raven replied.

Mau5 cocked his head to the side, giving Raven a smile that of a begging child. "May I?"

Raven nodded, pushing the box towards Mau5.

"NOT TOO MUCH, MAU5. YOU CAN'T HAVE TOO MUCH MEAT." Guy said.

"I just wanna try it~" Mau5 opened his large mouth and shoved a whole piece in his mouth. He chewed a bit and stopped. His eyes slowly blinked as the flavors hit his taste buds. "Ohh.." He said, his mouth completely full.

"Do you like it?" Raven asked.

Mau5 placed both hands on the table, and swallowed it down hard. "It's delicious! Mmm.. what is that yellow stuff smothered on the top?"

Raven laughed. "That's the cheese. Figures that's your favorite part…"

"More!" Mau5 demanded, taking another piece. He took this piece and plucked all the meat chunks off before he quickly devoured it too.

"Wow.." Raven said, shaking her head.

"THIS IS A ONE TIME THING, MAU5. YOU'RE BODY ISN'T READY FOR TOO MUCH HUMAN FOOD YET."

"But Thomassss~ It's so good!" He said, licking his lips. He licked his fingers clean, getting as much of the tasty flavors as he could.

"SAVE THE REST FOR RAVEN. SHE NEEDS FOOD FOR TOMORROW, SINCE IT MIGHT BE A WHILE BEFORE WE CAN GET HER ALL OF THESE…. GROCERIES." Guy explained.

"Ok," Mau5 said, standing up from the table. He grabbed the box of pizza, closed it and put it in the icebox. "There. I won't be tempted now."

Thomas also stood up from the table. He took his pen and drew a line under the list of food related items. "RAVEN, LET US GO TO YOUR SPARE ROOM THAT YOU WILL BE STAYING IN. WE NEED TO PLAN WHAT OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO FEEL AT HOME."

Raven waved her hands in front of her. "Oh no, you don't have to do that…"

"But Raven… that guest room is so boring… It has no fun stuff in it." Mau5 said, standing next to her.

Raven quickly got up and made space between her and Mau5 for comfort. "Um.. ok. Then let's go."

…

"I'm quite satisfied with the lighting in here. I like the colorful lights."

"YOU SURE YOU DON'T NEED A BRIGHTER LIGHT TO HAVE AS WELL?" Guy asked.

Raven shrugged. "Sure… I guess a small lamp won't be a bad idea. It can sit on the desk."

"You should have a stereo like mine~!" Mau5 hummed.

"…A stereo with a radio would be nice. I can listen to music and the news so I'm not fully isolated." Raven agreed, nodding.

"HOW ABOUT BOOKS? DO YOU LIKE TO READ?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, I like sci-fi and mystery books. Anything in that genre."

"CLOTHES?"

Raven sighed. "Ok, that might be hard to explain. I mean, I'm good with anything, but I do have a certain style I like."

"WE CAN HAVE YOU TALK TO MARIE ABOUT THAT. MAYBE SHE CAN TAKE YOU OUT TO BUY WHATEVER YOU WANT LATER ON. FOR NOW... I GUESS YOU COULD WEAR SOME OF MAU5'S CLOTHES."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Sure, I guess."

Mau5 grinned. "Oh, lil Raven will look so small in my clothes." He giggled at the thought in his head.

"One thing I would like to have… A toolbox. And scrap metal."

A question mark appeared on Guy's helmet. Thomas asked, "FOR WHAT?"

"One hobby of mine, besides dancing, is to build stuff. If I could have my own scraps and tools to have so I can tinker around with, that would be wonderful."

"I'M SURE WE CAN ARRANGE THAT." Thomas said.

"That's really all I can think of for now…" Raven said, rubbing the back of her head as she looked about the room.

"IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE, WE CAN ALWAYS GET IT FOR YOU SOME OTHER TIME."

"Sounds good," Raven said.

Thomas folded up the list of things into a small square. "WE WILL GIVE THIS TO MARIE WHEN SHE ARRIVES BACK AND REQUEST SHE GET THE THINGS WE NEED."

"THOMAS, WHY DON'T WE WORK ON SOME MORE MUSIC? WE NEED TO TRAIN MAU5 A LITTLE BIT MORE."

Immediately, Mau5 jumped with excitement. "Oh yes! I wanna show Raven some more of my music I can make~"

"HOW ABOUT IT?" Thomas asked, turning to Raven.

"Sure, sounds like fun." Raven said.

…

_**Thmp! Thmp! … Thmp!... Thmp! Thmp!...**_

Raven stood in the large room from before. She had come to call this the true studio, because this is where the three of them made their music.

Both Thomas and Guy stood next to Raven as Mau5 stood up on the black pyramid. He tweaked with the volume and settings of the pedals and synths, his long tail curling behind him as he worked.

Raven watched from below, finding herself somewhat fascinated. He was a wonderful DJ, after all. She loved his show. She couldn't help but be envious of people like him who could make such wonderful music. It's what inspired her everything.

Dead Mau5 looked up and gave a thumbs-up. "Ready!" He shouted, sounding too cheery.

Raven noticed Thomas and Guy both hunched over, faces looking down at the ground. "Wot are you-" Raven was cut off. She felt a strange sensation in her legs as the ground gave off a soft vibration. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the floor. She turned back to the two alien robots. Both of the screens on their helmets began to glow a bright white. "WE.. ARE.. SYNCING… TO OUR STUDIO." They explained.

Raven watched, her mouth wide open. The sounds of a bass began to hum to a solid note in surround-sound speakers. Raven now looked up to the top of the black pyramid stage, just as the lights faded out.

Syncs began… softly flickering.

Beats joined with it, humming in waves. It was catchy.

Raven bobbed her head to the sounds filling her ears. It sounded like an electronic keyboard, playing quick and light notes with the syncs.

A bright purple and pink light began to glow around Mau5, casting his silhouette down to his small audience. The purple and pink light cast down on Raven's skin and sent chills throughout her entire body. The sounds.. the lights. She was under some kind of spell.

Her body began to move to the music. She had hardly any control over herself. This must be what Thomas and Guy were talking about… The music had those waves that captivated people when they heard it.

As the vibrations in the bass began to grow and the music swelled to a climax, Raven began to dance and spin, lost in this feeling. What was the feeling exactly? It was very hard to explain. She felt that a ball of happiness had expanded inside her. It made her body itch to move. It made her senses loose and relaxed. She felt whole.

"You like it~ Oh good." She heard Mau5's voice humming to her. "I call this one… Strobe."

Strobe… It was beautiful. The very word was just a meaning to a raver in itself. But it worked with this music. It was simple and unique.

"NOT BAD, MAU5. YOU ARE DEFINITELY GETTING BETTER." Thomas voice called from behind her.

"Thomas… watch her. See how my music makes her move~" Mau5 cried with excitement. As he continued to hit pedals and wiggle the synths, Raven's body flexed and twisted in response to the electronic sounds. She knew they were watching. But it didn't matter… she didn't mind people watching her dance. It was one of the things she felt most comfortable with.

"THIS DEFINITELY SHOWS YOUR MUSIC IS GETTING STRONGER. IT MIGHT ALSO BE YOUR MIX IS STILL IN HER SYSTEM. IT'S MAKING HER REACT MORE TO YOUR SOUND." Guy explained.

Mau5 giggled. "She moves nicely."

"SHE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE A GOOD PREFORMER FOR YOUR TOUR."

Performer. That's right. You are a professional raver now. Raven grinned a large grin as she finished her dance to Dead Mau5's Strobe.

_I am a raver._


	8. Chapter 8

"But I~~~ just wanna play it right. We~~~ we're gonna get there tonight!"

Raven lay on her small, new bed on her back, listening to more of Dead Mau5's tracks. Mau5 had given her some strange memory back-up chip and a pair of old speakers for the time being so that she could listen to his stuff. If she was going to be his dancer, she needed to start getting familiar with each song. The more she listened to it, the more she began to fall in love with the unique sounds. It was incredibly addictive. But as Guy had said; it could just be that she still had the red liquid in her system. Mau5 also had said that 'drug' enhanced those feelings you get when listening to his music. She could tell… she could _not_ possibly keep still while listening to the music. Her head, foot or hands had to be tapping to the beats. The rhythms were pulling her on invisible strings, forcing her to move.

"It is great music… but damn... whoever came up with the lyrics isn't that great."

Each time a singer was featured in one of Mau5's songs, they had a good voice. But she found all of the lyrics to be just okay. There was nothing very creatively striking about them.

Well at least they could sing; she'd give them that.

Raven shut her eyes and continued to bob her head and twitch her feet back in forth to the beats. She tried to visualize what kind of dancing she would do to the music. She was beginning to get so lost in the electronic synths, that she didn't hear someone creep into the room. It took her a minute to sense the feeling that someone had their eyes on her. She slowly opened her eyes and flinched to see a big red Mau5 looming over her with an idiotic grin.

"Oh shit.." She said under her breath as she quickly sat up and scooted away from him.

"Still listening to my music? You must really like it~" He said, still giving her that pleased grin.

Raven was quiet for a few seconds. She then nodded. "Yeah.. I won't lie. It's brilliant music."

"Oh~ thank you." Mau5 said, shutting his eyes and giving a dramatic bow.

Raven sat awkwardly away from him. "So.. wots up?"

"Nothing, nothing… I just… thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing," Mau5 replied, now putting his fingers together perfectly. This was a habit that she noticed he had. It was sort of an interesting habit. "If you don't mind… I'd like to show you something."

"Yeah? Wot's that?" Raven asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

Mau5 gave a soft frown as he observed her. "Don't worry… it's nothing bad. Stop being so nervous~"

"Well, it's kinda hard to after the last thing you showed me was a needle with drugged liquid."

His ears drooped slightly. "I'm sorry if I scared you. But Raven, I didn't want you to go. I was afraid you wouldn't come back."

Raven sighed. "You're right, I probably wouldn't have."

Mau5 looked down at the floor, his large, white eyes blinking dramatically. "I just want to show you something. And I want you to know I'm not going to hurt you."

"Okay.." Raven replied. She relaxed her pose and sat at the foot of the bed now, waiting.

Mau5 squatted down in front of Raven and lift his hands slightly in front of him. He took in a deep breath and released it slowly. His gaze seemed to be fixed on the ceiling above her. Raven waited patiently to see what exactly would happen.

It was soft and low at first. Then it grew steadily. At first, she thought she heard something. But as time went by, she became sure; there was a bass line humming deeply in the room. Raven blinked curiously as she looked about the room. She couldn't tell where it was coming from. A smile crept up Mau5's face as he watched her. She looked at him, her eyes rounding with surprise.

"Is that… coming from you?"

"Mhm~" Mau5 looked very pleased.

"But you aren't plugged into any speakers…"

"I know," Mau5 said, his smile growing. "I just figured this out a few minutes ago. I can make my music very faint in the air~"

Raven studied his strange face as she listened to the pulsing music. The reddish fur around his eyes were sticking straight out, as if they were statically charged.

"Touch my hands," Mau5 told her.

Raven's eyebrows lowered. "Wot?"

"Take your hands and touch mine."

Slowly and very cautiously, Raven lifted her hands and placed her fingertips on the Dead Mau5's palms.

"Oh.." She said simply. She felt the vibrations of the music's bass pulsing off of his body. "It's so…" Raven began, but she could not find the word to describe it.

Mau5 gazed at her as his smile softened. "Alone…"

"Hm?" Raven asked.

"It's called.. Alone with you."

Raven's face suddenly got a little hot around her cheeks. "You mean the name of the song?"

Mau5 nodded. His hands slowly folded down on hers. The vibration was stronger now that his hands were wrapped around hers. She felt the music melody clearly as the vibration now pulsed in the back of her jaw and neck.

"Uh…" Raven said, blushing. She was starting to get uncomfortable again. But the music was soothing. It whispered softly to her to not be alarmed. It must be the signals that Mau5 was sending her with this song.

Mau5's ears curled back slightly and his smile became sheepish. "You're going to be a pretty raver for my show," He told her.

Raven awkwardly pulled her hands free from his. "Yeah.. I'm sure I will be."

Mau5 blinked dramatically at her. "Sorry~" He hummed.

"It's fine…" Raven said.

…

"Now where is that bloody bathroom?" Raven mumbled to herself.

It was late. It was cold. And she felt disgusting. Nothing seemed better than a hot shower right about now.

Raven continued down the maze like hallways, searching for the bathroom that Thomas had mentioned. He had called it 'Mau5's bathroom.' Which made sense, the robots wouldn't need it.

"Oh please, don't make it near Mau5's room," Raven whispered nervously. She recalled when she was in his room that there was no other door. So the bathroom wasn't attached to the inside of Mau5's domain. _Thank god…_

Raven walked through the beautifully lit hallways of blue. As she passed a door on her right, she heard a very odd sound. It was constant. It sounded like ambient noise of some sort. She walked back up to the door and put her head close to it. She listened.

She couldn't tell what the bloody hell that noise was. It was very strange. She gripped the door handle and thrust it open.

Observing the room, it had a very large chamber-casket that was lined up vertically against the wall on her left. It had several cables plugged into it that were then plugged into several extension wires.

Damn… This must be where one of the robots, either Guy or Thomas, 'recharged'. The other side of the wall had several newspaper ads taped to a board. She didn't bother to look at them. She still heard that strange noise… And wondered what it was.

Raven saw that the room went farther back and took a turn to the right. She slowly crept over to look around the corner.

To her absolute horror, she saw something she couldn't quite describe.

There was a mattress. On it, lay Marie. Instead of being fully clothed in her professional looking dress shirt and skirt, as Raven remembered, she was completely bare. Leaning over her was Guy. He too, didn't have that black suit he usually wore on. Instead, his metallic, black coating was revealed, and small lines of cyan blue lights traced his features. The sound was coming from Guy, and the more he continued to make these noises, the brighter the lines of light glowed. And as far as Raven could tell, they were up to some sort of sexual activity.

But what exactly… There were cables from the walls plugged into Guy. And then another cable that was plugged to Guy's chest extended down and was up inside Marie's cunt.

Raven pulled her head away from the corner, tightly gripping a hand over her mouth. She felt ashamed and disturbed for walking in on such a situation. Even worse, it took her too long to react and look away.

"Ah! Oh god, I feel it!" She heard Marie's voice gasp. Raven's face flushed badly_. Oh dear god, I need to get out of here._

"Kkkkzt OH THE ELECTRICITY… Kkzt" Guy's voice echoed in their small space.

Raven hastily but quietly returned to the exit, still gripping her mouth to prevent any sound from coming out. She made it out the door, closed it and immediately let out a loud shudder. "Gyuuuuagh. The… the fuck? I don't even wanna know..." Raven shook her head slowly. She was sure it was some sort of way that the robots have found to sync with humans to share pleasure. But the last thing she wanted was to witness it. _Well, its good to know that Marie is closure to the robots, particularly Guy, than I thought…_

Raven moved down the hall more until she came upon another door. This time, she knocked. And loudly. But there was no answer. No noise.

Raven thrust the door open by the handle, and to her relief, she found the bathroom. Opening the door all the way, and flicking the light switch on, the bathroom was a beautiful surprise. The tile was a silver-white color and looked spotless. Well, except the small amounts of short red hair that was scattered in the corners; Mau5's fur. The sink was rather large and deep. She couldn't help but smile when she looked to the toilet. The seat lid was closed and on top laid folded up clean clothes. A note was gently placed on top:

"RAVEN, HERE IS THE SMALLEST PAIR OF CLOTHES WE COULD FIND IN MAU5'S WARDROBE. –THOMAS"

There was a very large bookshelf that they had converted to be a holder for towels and soaps. Raven looked at all the bottles. The shampoo was all different brands of dog shampoo. "Really?" Raven huffed with irritation. Did they not have any normal shampoo? Guess not… Dead Mau5 didn't have any normal hair… just fur.

"Well it looks like I'll just have to wait on washing my hair. At least there is soap." Raven picked up on of the bottles of liquid soap, opened it and gave it a sniff. Smelled very musty. It was your average guy's soap. She shrugged. It didn't bother her. Musky smell was better than body odor.

Raven turned and closed the bathroom shut. She frowned when she saw there was no lock on the handle. Better make this quick.

Raven slipped off her tube top and bra, placing them on top of the other clean clothes. She unzipped her tripp pants and danced to fling them off. She came up to the shower and turned both knobs. Water came out immediately. She placed a hand under it to feel the temperature. She grinned, thankful for warm water. Removing her undies last, she quickly jumped in and shivered under the warmth of the water. She quickly scrubbed her hair to get it as clean as possible. Then she took the bottle of the musky soap and scrubbed her body.

_She took this time to really think on her current situation:_

_I am now living with an overgrown mouse man and two robots. Both the robots are from outer space.. or where ever. And the mouse is completely insane. I can't go home to my mom. I can't see any of my friends ever again. _

She frowned. She would miss her mother. She would miss her best friend, Austin. And now she was sure she'd never get a chance to be with Michael. She stuck her head under the waterspout and grumbled. _My new lover is a rat… _She grunted at this sarcastic thought.

She then began to think of Psycho. Mau5 wasn't the only crazy animal that wanted to be close to her. Her newest friend, the laboratory grown kangaroo lizard had become desperately dependent on Raven. She had only known him for a month now, but she was beginning to grow fond of his company. She at least kept him out of trouble. The first time she found him, he had just killed an innocent man who happened to get in the creature's way when he was on a blind rampage. Psycho would never want to hurt anyone. But if he got pissed off, or snapped, it would be hard to stop him without getting your throat torn out. She had started to help him control these fits and prevented other people in her neighborhood from getting harmed. This meant, however, that the kangaroo usually tried to visit her every day. He had grown so attached to her company.

_Wot's going to happen to Psycho when he realizes I'm gone for good?_ _Will he go mad and kill himself?_ She didn't like that idea… She could only hope he'd hold out for a while, until she found a way to get out from this situation. She might have to just make a run from it when she had the chance.

A sound broke her out of her thoughts. She heard the door squeak slightly as if someone had opened it. Raven's face began to burn pink again. She poked her head around the curtain to the shower. She came face to face with that grinning, fiendish smile that Dead Mau5 usually wore. Her eyes went wide.

"Oh Raven~ I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were-" Before the mouse DJ could finish, Raven let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Get out! Get out get out GET OUT!" She yelled, her whole face now red and hot as ember coal.

Mau5 jumped back, startled. He was completely unaware of such a reaction and confused. But he quickly pulled the door wide open and scurried out, almost slamming it closed on his long, red tail.

Raven gasped loudly. "Please knock first from now on!" She shouted at him through the door.

"Okay…" She heard him squeak, probably still shaky from Raven's uproar.

Raven took a deep breath. Living with this guy was probably going to kill her…

After showering, Raven turned the water off. She grabbed on of the towels that was folded up on the shelf. She roughly dried her short, black hair and the rest of her body. As she did this, she heard mumbling out side of the door. Mau5 must be waiting for her to get out...

Raven pulled her undies and bra back on, then poked through the folded clothes Thomas had left for her. She pulled up the pair of pants first. They were much too long… and definitely were going to be too loose around her waist. Oh well, she didn't mind wearing her tripp pants again. They shouldn't be too dirty. She quickly dressed her lower half, and then picked up the t-shirt. She slipped it over her head and observed in the mirror above the sink. The shirt was large on her, but it wasn't too bad. It just made her look smaller than she appeared to be. She grinned at the design of random colored arrows zigzagging all over the front of it.

She opened the bathroom door and stared down at Mau5 who was leaning up against the wall. He blinked up at her and grinned.

"Finished? Oh~" He said, observing her appearance. "You're wearing one of my shirts."

"Yeah… but, please, now that we are having to share bathrooms, knock, okay? I like my privacy," Raven said.

"Okay, lil Raven. I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to scare you that time." He lowered his ears looking down at the floor. "Guy and Thomas weren't kidding when they said that human females don't like to be walked in on when naked…"

Raven couldn't help but chuckle. He sounded like a little kid, realizing a moral that he was taught. "Yeah, that's a given for almost everyone, actually," Raven replied.

"Is the shower okay with you?" Mau5 said, looking back up at her with a new smile.

"It's very fine. However, let's talk about getting some new shampoo for me, shall we?"


	9. Chapter 9

The evening moved over quickly. Raven finally was able to retreat to her small (temporary, as she wanted it to be) room to get some rest. After she had showered, Thomas had warned her that Mau5 had this strange, and obnoxious habit of getting really hyper at night. The best he could describe it was like an adrenalin rush that a child usually got when they started to get tired. Made since, Mau5 was pretty much an overgrown kid.

Raven lay in her bed, and every minute or so, she'd hear the idiotic rodent giggling and laughing loudly as he frolicked all around the house. After half an hour of that nonsense, Raven had taken her pillow and smothered her head, groaning impatiently.

_Bloody hell, just calm down already… _She thought to herself.

It only took a few more minutes until the sounds quieted down and she couldn't hear him moving about anymore. He must have tired himself out and retreated to his own room. _Good…_

As the silent laid gently down on Raven, she began to nod off into the dream world.

…

She dreamt she was in a hotel. The hotel room was a single room with a small bathroom attached to it. Thomas and Guy both sat in arm charms across from her and Dead Mau5 lay on the bed, next to where she stood. She looked to the door that led out. She knew it was locked, and there was nothing she could do about it for now. Something about this situation made her feel sad and lonely. Even though she was with three other beings, she could not relate to them. They weren't like her… and so she felt alone.

She heard a phone ring. She looked next to the bed on the nightstand, and sure enough, there was a telephone. It rang…

Raven came up to it and before she could pick it up, she heard Thomas's voice to her back, "I WOULDN'T ANSWER THAT."

But she didn't listen. She picked it up.

"Ello?"

"Ello? Raven? Love, is that you?"

Raven's heart leaped. Her mother…

"Mum! Mum, I'm so glad to hear from you! Listen-"

"Raven, where are you? I'm so worried."

"I know Mum, I'm sorry. I can explain. This guy-"

The dial tone loudly interrupted her. The connection was lost.

"…Mum?" Raven's eyes watered slightly as the tone still hummed the same pitch loudly in her ear.

"I'M SORRY RAVEN. YOU CAN'T GO BACK." Both Guy and Thomas chanted softly together.

…

Raven awoke, slowly. That sad, lonely feeling still stirred bitterly in her chest. When she realized she was still in the guest room in the home of alien beings, she smothered her face into her pillow again, groaning pitifully. _Mum…_

She waited to become sleepy again and to fall back into the steady state of REM. But it did not come. Her heart was starting to hammer as her mind began to race in a panic. She could not shake the homesick feeling.

So she brushed the sheets off her bare legs and stood up out of the bed. She was only wearing Dead Mau5's baggy shirt over her undergarments, so she grabbed her tripp pants and slipped them on over her hips.

The outside of the hallway was slightly chilly. The neon lights of blue still looked as brilliant and stunning as she remembered, but they seemed less bright. Perhaps they were adjusted according to the time. Raven began to wonder down the hall towards the bathroom again. Perhaps a warm rag on her face will help her sleep, she thought.

'_I remember…'_

It was so quiet, but it was definitely a soft, female's voice singing.

'_I remember…'_ She heard it again. It sounded like the same voice that had sung the song back at the club.

She stood still in the hallway. She could see the door to the bathroom in front of her, only a few meters away. But she stopped to listen again for that voice.

It was quiet again.

"Huh." Raven grumbled. Was she imagining it? Probably not… _Oi, if Mau5 could produce music aloud without speakers, then why couldn't he do it in his sleep too?_ Just maybe…

Raven weakly wandered into the bathroom and flipped the light on. She immediately saw the reflection of herself in the mirror, staring glumly back. Her eyes were squinting to the sudden bright light and her eyes were red and watery.

"Fuck.." Raven whispered. The lonely feeling was building as she continued to stare at her depressing image before her.

"Fuck this shit." Raven muttered, her eyes closing tightly as she wrapped her arms around her sides.

Why the fuck was she fighting back this outrageous situation? Everything about it was screwed up beyond belief.

"Fuck this!" Her voice shrilled slightly, as she bit her lower lip harshly. She sputtered a few cries and choked sobs before she slid to the floor, where she recoiled herself into a ball. Her feet slid in as close as possible and she wedged her face between her legs.

She let herself cry… she needed it. The hysteria was not a good thing to keep bottled up forever.

A figure came looming into the door way. The voice was somewhat surprised and sad. "..Raven?"

Raven looked up quickly and silenced her whimpering. Mau5 was peering down at her. His large, milky eyes were softened and large. His firm frown showed he was worried. "What are you doing in here… and crying~?"

"Please just go away." Raven growled bitterly. She did not want to look at him. She buried her face back into her legs.

"Why are you crying?" He asked. She could tell by his shifting that he was now kneeling next to her.

"Go away," Raven warned him, as her sobs were starting to choke out again.

"But.. Raven-"

"Leave me alone!" Raven shrieked, striking her hand out at him. Her fingernails dug into the side of his left cheek and scratched the surface. Bits of his fur flew off and he gave off a sound that seemed like a squeak. He leaned back away, and he stared at Raven, startled. His eyes reflected the hurt from her lash.

"Please… Don't you see I don't want to be here?" Tears were falling down her cheeks onto her lap as she shuddered with frustration. "Don't you see I don't be here with you or Thomas or Guy? I wanna go home! I wanna see my friends and my mum!"

Mau5 remained very silent, as he held a hand up to his face where Raven had slashed at him. His large ears were drooped down, and his white eyes stared at her sadly. But he said nothing…

Raven tried to silent her sobs. She looked at Mau5's miserable face and realized her actions were awfully rash towards a creature like him. How could he understand this situation? How could he understand that it was because of his selfishness that she was trapped?

She looked upon the mouse DJ and saw complete confusion and hurt written all over his red, furry face.

"R-raven…" Mau5 said, finally putting his hand down from his face. There was a small cut that was now swelling on his cheek.

Raven lowered her head, unable to express both the twisted emotions in her head. The rage of being trapped and the sympathy for attacking Mau5 left her in a pause.

To her surprise, she felt the rodent take her in his arms and hug her tightly. She wanted to squirm free, but she was too caught up to fight.

"I'm very sorry, Raven…" Mau5 whined softly. She felt his fur on his face tickle her neck as he hugged her close. Her wet eyes also made the fur stick to her face. But she didn't give a fuck at that moment.

"We will make you happy here, Raven.. I promise. Just give me a chance, okay~?" He hummed, but still in a sort of whiny tone.

Raven did not answer; she just rested her forehead on his shoulder, feeling the exhaustion of her anxiety over take her.

Mau5 waited there for a second for her to say something. When she didn't, he spoke up again, "Let's get you to bed."

It was a bit surprising how easily Mau5 scooped her up in his arms. He was stronger than he appeared to be. Either that, or she was smaller than she thought. He carried her down the hall, back towards her guest room.

_Was it strange to be small enough for a mouse to hold you..?_

Gently, he placed her back into the bed and knelt down at the side. His large tail was coiling nervously as he tried to make her comfortable. His large eyes were still watching her carefully.

Raven picked up her hand and touched Mau5's cheek that she had scratched. "Sorry…"

Mau5 leaned into her touch and slowly nodded his head. His frown was still there. He took his hands and pet her shoulder. "Please, just rest and feel better, lil Raven," He told her.

Raven let out a sigh. But then, the female voice could be heard softly in the air. She felt the soft pulse of sound coming off of his body.

'_I remember.'_

Her heavy eyelids closed and the music of Dead Mau5 began to lull her into sleep.

'_Feeling the past moving in…. Letting a new day begin…. Hold to the time that you know… You don't have to move on to let go….'_

It was like the music was in her head. She had full relaxation.

'_Remember turning on the night…. And moving through the morning light… remember how it was with you… remember how you pulled me through…'_

A warmth. It felt close. And all around her.

'_Add to the memory you keep… Remember when you fall asleep… Hold to the love that you know… You don't have to give up to let go…'_

She felt comfort. She no longer felt alone.

"_Remember how it was with you… Remember how you pulled me through…_

…

_I __**remember**__.'_


	10. Chapter 10

This comfort must have lasted all night. Once she finally started to slowly ascend from slumber, she still felt the warmth wrapped around her. It felt securing. At least, that's what a tired mind could interpret it to be: a subconscious comfort that your body felt after a long night's rest.

It wasn't until she was more awake did she realize that warmth wasn't just her. And that comfort was actually a pressing weight on her body. She opened one eye and looked above her. Just a ceiling.

She then opened her other eye and tried to shift from her side to her back…. And her elbow collided with someone's chest. She heard a soft snort.

She froze. Then, slowly, she glanced over her shoulder.

Mau5, quite cozy and content, was sound asleep next to her. His arms and legs were wrapped tightly around Raven's body and his face was buried into her pillow. He gave off soft sighs in his sleep.

Raven felt her whole body become shaky with discomfort. She tried not to scream. The last thing she wanted to do was startle Mau5 and make him jerk violently awake. She fought back the panic.

"…Damnit.." Raven cursed softly. She tried to slowly sit up and wiggle her torso free from his arms. As if in response, his large tail suddenly curled up in a natural reflex. The tip of the plug on the end batted her face and she flinched. "Fuckin…" She began, but shook it off.

She easily slipped away from his grasp and got out of the bed. _You lil rat… think you're clever, don't you? _She thought, leering down at Mau5. He now lay sprawled at an angle from Raven's adjustment. He looked very much at peace. His tail continued to coil slightly and his large ears twitched to the side.

Raven stared for a bit, and then couldn't help but smile. More human, or not, he still was very much like a mouse. And mice were adorable when they slept.

Raven turned to the door and immediately hunger hit her again. Might as well let the giant rodent sleep and go fetch some breakfast…

She lingered out into the hall way and dragged her feet towards the so-called kitchen. It took her a few false turns, but she eventually remembered where it was. Bloody layout of this place looks all the same.

Raven waltzed into the cold room, and immediately became surprised by a visitor. Marie was sitting at the table, staring back at her. A content smile was on the woman's face.

"Oh.." Raven began, suddenly remembering the last time she saw Marie. She tried hard to shake away the thoughts of cables up the woman's vagina, so that she wouldn't say something she'd regret later. "Good morning."

Marie nodded. "Sleep well, Raven?"

"I guess so."

"How are you fitting in with this place?"

"It's, uh…. It's a lil difficult."

She laughed. Her laugh was very witty, but pleasant. "It's okay. You are in the company of a bunch of circus animals."

Raven chuckled awkwardly, giving Marie a fake smile. She tried hard not to seem obvious, since she was pretty sure Marie was unaware of Raven encountering her with Guy.

"Oh, speaking of which… Thomas had mentioned to me that you needed some Shampoo." Marie leaned to the side in her chair and picked up a paper bag. She set it down on the table.

"I didn't know if you had a preference on hair products, so I got you three different shampoos to see which you like best. I also got conditioner, hair spray, gel, and some basic eye liner and mascara."

Raven blinked, a bit surprised. "Gee, thank you!" She was actually very relieved. Her hair could use a washing.

Marie nodded, giving her a very friendly smile. "Not at all. Oh, and you know.. I'm also here because I was asked to take you out clothes shopping. I can tell you need some variety."

Raven looked down at her current outfit: her several day worn tripp pants and Mau5's baggy shirt. "More options would be nice."

"Okay. Well, Raven, why don't you get yourself some breakfast, take a shower and we will head off to the mall?"

…

The second, sudden change in environment and atmosphere kind of had Raven shivering. She felt slight unease, but she was very grateful to actually be out of that building and into the real world again. It had only been about 2 days ago since she was out, but it felt much longer than that.

She sat very tense in the car seat, looking out the dark, tented windows. She didn't recognize at all where she was. It looked nothing like Essex. She was pretty sure she wasn't in England anymore, anyway. How'd she know? The several signs on the buildings and streets that were mostly in French gave it away…

Marie sat in the seat next to her. Their chauffer had dark clothes and dark shades on. He was driving them in a limousine. Everything about this situation felt strange. She appeared to be in the place of some celebrity that was popular for who cared the reason why.

"Have any ideas on your outfit you want to wear?"

"Hm?" Raven asked, breaking her trance from the window, looking over to Marie.

"Your outfit for the tour."

"Oh. Yeah, I actually had thought of a design of some sort."

"Well? Care to share?"

"Uh…" Raven knew she was bad at explaining things. "Got a pen or pencil and some paper?"

Marie took out a clipboard that was tucked in the pocket of the chauffeur's seat. She handed it to Raven.

Raven took the pen off of it and began to quickly sketch her idea.

She actually had a dream about wearing an outfit like this many years ago. She always liked the idea of building an alter ego for herself… and wearing this outfit would definitely be the base of one.

For the face, she would wear a slim fit mask that was white, with a black heart on the face. Then she would wear an electric blue bob wig over the mask. The shirt would be a hot pink tank top with blue mid-length sleeves as an under layer, tight and slick electric blue leggings with hot pink mini shorts over that, and last, some elevator black boots with hot pink trim to complement the theme.

_The Cotton Candy Raver_. Raven smiled at her crummy illustration when she finished it and handed it back to Marie.

"Oh very interesting."

"The themed colors are electric blue and hot pink. I can write down more of the details of it later, if you need." Raven said.

"You'll need to. I have a feeling I won't be able to find this specifically anywhere. We'll have to get it custom made."

Raven liked the sound of that. Having that exact design would be brilliant.

The car eventually stopped outside of a giant mall/gallery building. The structure of it seemed to be themed old fashion, beautiful gothic cathedral designs of blue and yellow traced the entire upper half, and a huge sign was above the entrance that read 'Galeries Lafayette.'

Raven stared in awe at the sight of it. She had only been to one mall in London, and it was nothing in size comparison to this one.

"Come along, Raven." Marie was already out of the car.

Raven stepped out of the vehicle and continued to stare at the giant mall.

"Welcome to Galeries Lafayette. Or… The Galleries of Lafayette."

"Wot does it mean… Lafayette?"

"It's just a name. Où vos rêves deviennent réalité."

"Wot?" Raven asked, surprised by sudden French.

Marie giggled. "Where all of your dreams come true."

The two of them began to walk into the giant department store's metal doors.

"I didn't know you could speak French. You hardly have an accent."

"I'm fluent in many languages. English is my primary language, however, I did grow up in France."

Raven smiled. She didn't know how to speak French, but she knew a little bit of German. "Kein Deutsch?"

Marie grinned. "Ja, tatsächlich. Deutsch ist meine dritte Sprache, die ich gelernt habe."

Raven laughed. Perhaps Marie wasn't so bad after all.

…

Raven looked about the different stores, desperate to find some place that sold tripp pants. Or, in that fact, anything that looked gothic, cyberpunk or retro. To her disappointment, the only stores they passed were nothing but high-in fashion, prepy or vintage.

She did consider just settling with something basic for now, at least until she could find the type of clothes she was really looking for.

"Nothing catching your eye?" Marie asked.

"Nope.." Raven said, glumly.

Marie looked around, her black hair flipping on her shoulders. "I could have sworn this place had all styles. Let's keep looking."

The two of them continued through the large groups of shoppers. Raven had a thought come to mind. _Are we the only two people here? Is Marie the only one with me? No guards or anything?_

_Bollocks…_ There had to be someone watching them. It seemed ridiculous to leave one woman in charge of watching a teenage girl. She continued to scan around casually, but saw no one.

She tried not to smile, so she wouldn't look suspicious. _Who's to stop me from sneaking away?_

"Oh, how about here?" Marie said, pointing into one of the smaller shops. "This is where I buy most of my clothes."

Raven looked into the display window. It had a mannequin wearing a bright baggy pink top that looked very 80s. It was long and almost to her knees, with solid black leggings. Looked like it could be interesting.

The two of them went in. Immediately, Raven saw bright color mini shorts that drew her closer. She found a pair of purple ones and smiled. "A pair of shorts would be handy to have."

"Oh definitely. If you like that brand, I'd get more than just one. At least three or four."

Raven nodded. She picked up the purple ones, along with a pair of black, blue and red ones.

"Do you like tank tops?" Marie asked.

"Mhm. Especially when I'm working out or building somethin'…"

Marie gestured and walked over to a rack with bright colored tank tops and spaghetti straps.

Her back was turned to her now. Raven felt her heart rush. She looked over her shoulder and out of the store.

If she were to run for it, she would be pretty much lost. She knew she was somewhere in France. Perhaps Paris, judging by the size of the city. She had no way of getting herself home. However.. she could always run for a Police station. They were bound to help her out, at least contact her mother and let her know they had found her. She was just about to set down the shorts and rush for the exit when two men caught her attention. They were very tall, buff men and wore the same formal outfit that the chauffeur had on. They were looking right at her, through there dark shades. She shuddered.

Marie and Raven **were** being followed. She had a feeling they were apart of the government, like Marie. They were making sure she didn't try and get away. _Bloody hell…There is no way I'm gonna be able to get away this time…_

"How about this top?"

Raven turned to look as Marie held up a white spagetti strap that had a cute illustration of a field mouse in the right corner of it.

Raven grinned. "That is a very cute one. I think Mau5 would get a kick out of it too."

Marie beamed, showing her bright white teeth. "You're right, he would!"

"Okay. We'll add that to the pile." Raven said, taking the top from her and draping it over her arm with the four pair of shorts.

Not this time. Today, just enjoy shopping and getting some new clothes. You might have a chance to get away later on.


	11. Chapter 11

He continued to lie on his stomach, sleepily staring at the wall in front of him. He wore a rather large frown on his furry, red face.

"Borrrrred~ When are they getting back?"

Mau5 had awoken to find Raven gone. He had enjoyed sharing the night with her, but he felt a little sad to wake up alone again. Thomas told him that Marie had come and taken her to go clothes shopping, and they would be back soon.

Mau5 sprawled his bare arms down and let his fingertips touch the floor. Thomas and Guy had just finished another 'tweeking' process, which left him a lil tired, so he remained lying there on the stretcher while he waited for his energy to recover. Thomas and Guy had left him alone to go about working on their projects. Mau5 had little knowledge about what his creators were up to these days. They never really bothered to share much about themselves…

Mau5 blinked at the floor, his large eyes thoughtful.

Thought… he usually never had it. But now that Thomas and Guy were adjusting his brain waves, he could really ponder.

_He was becoming more human._

This made the frown on his face turn into his signature idiotic smile. "Human… just like lil Raven."

…

"Okay, my dear, ready to show the boys your new clothes?" Marie said.

"Sure, I suppose." Raven said, smiling sheepishly.

She felt.. **different**. She had never worn such average, girly clothes before. Not since she was very young. Her outfit consisted of the pair of red mini shorts, low cut pink converse and the white spaghetti strap top that had the field mouse design on it. Marie had insisted she wear this top first, because they both knew for a fact, Mau5 was going to be very pleased by it.

She and Marie stood just outside the Domain (which is what she began to call Thomas, Guy and Mau5's home). As Raven observed from leaving and returning, it looked like the building use to be an old business corporation on the outside. Now it was remodeled on the inside to be the studio for the robots. Even walking into the building, it looked like an empty lobby. Then they just had to make a turn down the hallway and there was the door to the actual house. Guess they wanted to keep the building as a disguise.

"Um… I'm thinking these shorts are too short for me." Raven said, looking down at her outfit again, feeling a lil nervous.

"Oh nonsense! You look great. You have a perfect body for it."

"Thanks.." Raven mumbled, not feeling any better.

"C'mon!" Marie said, taking Raven's hand and opening the door. Somehow, Raven was getting the impression that Marie was starting to act like an older sister to her, particularly from how the woman was babysitting her and making a big fuss over her. She didn't mind it, but she did find it a little strange since they just met each other.

As soon as the two walked into the room, she saw Thomas sitting on one of the couches in the 'living room.' He was reading a book and looked up when they two girls entered. A smiley icon scrolled across his visor. "OH HELLO, MARIE. HELLO RAVEN." He stood up and brushed his coat off in a polite manner.

Marie smiled and nodded to him. "Hello Thomas. What do you think? Doesn't Raven look adorable?"

Raven smiled again, feeling rather shy.

Thomas nodded. "YES INDEED. MARIE, DID YOU FIND HER ENOUGH CLOTHES?"

Marie lifted up the two large shopping bags in her hands, not including the other two Raven was holding. "Plenty. We put together at least 30 different outfits with these. She'll be fine for a while."

"WONDERFUL. THANK YOU, MARIE." Thomas said.

Marie nodded, and turned back to Raven. "Okay, Raven, I have your idea for your raving costume, but could you label the color coordination for it so I can get it made?"

"Sure, sure." Raven took the piece of paper with her Cotton Candy design on it, along with the pen that Marie was holding out to her. She squatted down and quickly labeled the pink and blue parts of the costume. She then handed it back.

"Great!" Marie said, turning to leave.

"NOT GOING TO SAY HELLO TO GUY?" Thomas asked before she could reach the door. "HE'S JUST WORKING IN THE SOUND BOOTH."

_Sound booth? Wonder where that is…_

Marie sighed, but kept her pleasant smile on her face. "I wish I could, but I have a lot of work to get started on. Tell him hello for me?" She winked to Thomas.

Raven gave a small shudder. _Nu-uh, don't wanna think about that.._ She told herself, trying to think elsewhere.

"CERTAINLY."

"Bye now. See you soon Raven. It was fun," She said, opening the door.

"Yes, indeed. Thank you." Raven waved to her as the woman vanished out the door. Immediately afterward, Raven heard a loud click noise come from behind it.

"Wot was that?" She asked Thomas.

"THE DEFENSE SYSTEM. MARIE HAS A SCANNER THAT CAN MAKE THE DOOR LOCK. IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT IN CASE THEY STUMBLED UPON THIS PLACE."

"But now its to keep me in too.." Raven said softly.

Thomas's face lowered. An unhappy frown scrolled on his face, along with the words 'Yeah.'

…

After putting down her enormous amounts of clothes, Raven sighed, "Thanks, Thomas."

Thomas also puts down the other bags that Marie had brought. "OF COURSE. I BET MAU5 IS DYING TO SEE YOU."

"I don't doubt that at all." Raven said, shaking her head. "Where am I going to put all my clothes?" She asked, avoiding the topic of Mau5. She had noticed that her guest room did not have a closet.

"WE WILL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT FOR YOU. WHY DON'T YOU HEAD TO THE KITCHEN? WE HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU." The word 'surprise' along with a smiley icon scrolled across Thomas's face.

Raven lifted an eyebrow. "Wot's that?"

"WELL, IF I TOLD YOU, IT WOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE."

"Ah, okay." Raven said, grinning.

…

Raven walked out of the room and started down the hall to the kitchen. Once she made it there, a huge smile went from ear to ear.

The room was recognizable, but not the same old room she remembered. To her astonishment, it looked almost identical to her kitchen back in her old apartment.

She stared, her mouth wide open. The same fridge, the same old fashion, gas stove, the same counter space and same microwave, placed in the corner. Even the lay out was pretty much the same. The only difference was, the walls, ceiling and floors were still a dark metallic color, the counters were a different type of tile and color, and there was no sink. The small table that use to be in the very center of the room was no pushed to the left and rearranged just like the old table in her home.

_How did… they know?_

Suddenly, a figure hiding behind the open door of the fridge caught her attention. Mau5, who was busily investigating the supplies stashed away in the fridge, was humming a tune to himself, his large tail swishing slowly. He then stood up, revealing half of a watermelon shoved in his large mouth. The very sight of him, with his large, round eyes now staring blankly at Raven, and his mouth bulging full of fruit, was… odd.

Raven stared, then kind of let out a muffled giggle.

Mau5 immediately pulled the giant piece of watermelon out of his mouth and beamed.

"Oh Raven~ you're back!" He said. He quickly put down the watermelon and closed the fridge door with his tail. He then bounded over to Raven, excited. "Did you get a lot of clothes?"

Before she could answer him, or even react, he let out a gasp. His idiotic grin stretch across his entire spherical face.

"Oh! Your shirt." He pointed a finger at the small mouse design. "It… it looks like me~"

"Hahaha, you think so?" Raven teased him, looking down at the little field mouse in the bottom corner of her top.

"Sure it does!" His expression was full of glee. "I like it. What other clothes did you get?"

"You'll just have to see when I wear them." Raven told him. She then looked back around the kitchen, still shaking her head in amazement. "How did you lot make this kitchen look like mine back home?"

"Thomas did some research, I think. He said he got some government people to figure out what your old house looked like. He wants you to feel at home here." Mau5 said, as he looked back around too. "I think it looks interesting."

"Yeah, I guess you've never really seen many other styles of living space before, have you?"

The giant rodent man shook his head, blinking several times.

"So wot do we have to eat now?" Raven announced, waltzing over to the fridge.

"Lots of strange stuff I have never seen before.." Mau5 commented.

Raven opened the fridge door and peered in. There was a gallon of milk, bag of fresh snow peas, lettuce, carrots, green onion, cucumbers, broccoli, grape fruits, strawberries, blueberries, the other half of the watermelon which was bitten into, a block of cheese and a ham log. Raven then opened the freezer door. Inside there was a giant bag of frozen dumplings, and boxes of pre-made Asian food. Perfect.

"Any sauces..? Ah!" Raven said, noticing that there were bottles on the counter, such as soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc.

"Oh yeah, that is a much better selection of food."

"What're you going to make, lil Raven?" Mau5 asked curiously.

"Fried rice." She announced, pulling out one of the Asian food boxes that was labeled 'pork fried rice.' She pulled the plastic container out of the box and put it in the microwave.

Mau5 walked up next to her and watched with wide eyes as she punched in some numbers on the device and it began to hum loudly.

"What does that do?"

"It heats the food. It's already made, it just needs to be warmed."

Mau5 put his face up to the screen and watched as the Asian food rotated slowly around. "I can feel the waves coming off of this thing~"

"I wouldn't stand that close to it, its bad for you." Raven said. She remembered when she was little and her mother use to get after her for doing the same thing.

Mau5 only giggled idiotically. "It's tickling my nose."

Raven raised an eyebrow as she watched him. _He has a nose…?_

"Raven.. will you teach me how to make all the kinds of food you do?"

"Uh.. sure I guess so."

"Oh good! Because when Thomas and Guy finish upgrading me, I will be human enough to eat all kinds of food. And I want to know how to make it all~" He had a very thoughtful expression on his face.

Raven smiled. She had to admit, she admired his determined personality. This guy was definitely a positive thinker. "Sure thing, Mau5, I'll teach you how to cook food."


	12. Chapter 12

"Miss Raven, please, can you hold still a little longer?" The man was getting impatient.

"Sorry…" Raven said, trying to keep herself from fidgeting. She hated standing still for too long.

Marie had come over again the very next day with a guy who would help custom make her raver outfit. She wasn't surprised to see that it was a man with a very flamboyant look and a stereotypical lisp.

"Alright, darling, I got all your measurements. Now, you want the mask to be just white and black? You sure it wouldn't be better if you made the heart blue to match more?"

"I thought about that, but I want the face to stand out more. Let's keep it black." Raven said.

"Alright, fine by me, precious."

Raven tried not to laugh out loud. Sometimes, gay men were hilarious.

Marie looked up from her clipboard that she usually carried around. "Got everything you need to get started, Jerry?"

"Oh yes, don't you worry. I'll have this done before tomorrow."

Raven shrugged a bit. "Is it absolutely necessary to have it done by then?"

"NOT NECESSARY. BUT MAU5 REALLY WANTS TO START TOURING."

Raven turned to see Guy standing in the doorway. She was a bit surprised, as the golden robot didn't say nearly as much as his partner, Thomas.

"…Is he stable enough to tour yet?" Raven asked.

"ALMOST," Guy commented as he strolled over next to Marie. He stood, with his hands in his pockets and looked over her shoulder at her clipboard.

Raven suddenly felt the awkwardness swoon over her again.

"Good morning, Guy Manual," Marie said, smiling up at the robot.

A smiley face appeared on Guy's helmet. "GOOD MORNING."

"Hey, Marie.." Raven said, eager to leave. "If I'm done here, can I go grab some breakfast?"

"Oh yes, you are done for now. Jerry, might call you back later if he has any questions."

"Sounds great." With that, Raven rushed out, shaking of the disturbed feeling. "Bloody hell…" She mumbled to herself as she walked down the blue lit-up hallway. "That memory is going to be scarred in my head forever…"

Raven shoved her hands into the pockets on a pair of blue skinny jeans that she got when shopping with Marie. Skinny jeans were not her style. But she had to admit; she liked the color of them.

She walked into the kitchen, and found both Thomas and Mau5 already sitting at the table. Thomas was tweaking with a sync board (or so it looked like) and Mau5 was watching, with the other half of that watermelon in his hands. His furry red face was covered in sticky juice and seeds.

"Morning," Raven said lightly.

The two of them looked up. Thomas's visor scrolled the word 'morning' in response, along with a smiley icon. Mau5 grinned. "Oh hello, Raven~"

"Um… you got a lil… something," Raven gestured to her own face, particularly around her mouth, "on your face…"

Mau5 cocked his head, his large ears twitching. "Hmm?"

Raven just sighed and shook her head. "Never mind."

She went around the table and opened the fridge. She reached in and grabbed a grapefruit. She then realized it was the only one left.

"…Wot happened to all the grapefruit?"

"I ate two of them. They were delicious~" Mau5 said, grinning to himself, and munching down on the watermelon.

Before Raven could scowl at him, Thomas added with an electronical sigh, "NOT TO WORRY, I ALREADY ADDED MORE TO THE NEXT SHOPPING LIST."

"Thanks." Raven grabbed a sharp knife from one of the drawers. Bloody amazing, they had everything in this kitchen laid out exactly like her old one. She knew where everything was. She cut the grapefruit in half and then proceeded to slice small pieces up from the inside.

"SO RAVEN, DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF DANCES ALREADY PLANNED OUT FOR A TOUR?" Thomas asked.

Raven took a bite of the grapefruit. The sour juice tickled her mouth. "I have an over all idea of dance cerographs for a few songs."

Mau5 grinned with delight. "Which songs?"

"Uh…" Raven's face went a little blank. Since most of his songs had no lyrics, she didn't have a clue what they were called.

"Um, the one you played for me live… Strobe?"

"Yes, yes~ That's a good one."

"There's that one… and… I have no idea what the names of the other songs are." Raven said, looking down, a bit embarrassed.

"You will learn them. Perhaps you show me what you have and I can name them off for you? That way it will make rehearsing easier." Mau5 commented, his tail twitching up around his feet.

"True," Raven replied. She was a little impressed by his thought process. Guy was right, he was starting to become stable.

"Alright, I guess I'll show you what I got," she replied, taking another bite of fruit.

"Weeeeheee~" Dead Mau5 suddenly leaped up from the table, thrilled. "I can't wait to see lil Raven dance again." Raven smirked and shook her head.

Thomas continued to mess with the soundboard. As Raven finished her breakfast, she watched his silver hands move quickly over the device, tweaking bolts here, adjusting volumes there, rotating knobs and then pausing to read the new 'layout' he had in front of him.

_Interesting…_ Raven thought. She knew the robots were good at building things, i.e., Dead Mau5. But she wondered how good they were with building mechanical based things more like themselves. She couldn't help her curiosity. She was a mechanic herself, and loved friendly competition.

Raven snapped back from her train of thought when Mau5 blurted out, "Raven, can you show me your dances now?"

Raven looked up, her mind slowly registering his words. She stared at his face, blinking at the sticky juices and seeds all over his mouth.

She had to do something about it. She waltzed right up to the mouse DJ and started to wipe his face with her hands. "Sorry, but its really bothering me…"

Mau5 only blinked down at her with large eyes. "Eh?"

"You've got watermelon all over your face and it was bothering me."

Mau5 smirked as she wiped the last of it off his red, furry face. "Why does it bother you?"

"Because it was all over your face. It looked… I dunno." Raven was starting to flush because she couldn't really explain her OCD behavior. She heard a something that sounded kind of like a chuckle mixed with ambient electronic noises. She turned and looked at Thomas who was still busily working over his soundboard, but the word 'cute' along with an extra large smiley icon scrolled over his face. Raven tried to ignore it.

"Okay, okay… let's go do that. And then I need to go check to see how my costume is coming along."

Mau5 chuckled idiotically to himself as he followed Raven out of the kitchen.

…

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump- kkkkhttaz- Thump! _

Raven spun quickly on her heels as her body jerked with the syncs. Then she was on her hands, still spinning.

Her eyes, closed.

Her heart, pumping.

Dead Mau5's music sure had a way of making her feel free when she danced.

"And… wot.. is this one.. called?" Raven panted during another spin cycle.

Through the corners of her eyes she could see Mau5 grinning his huge, signature smile, arms folded and his tail curled with delight.

"Hehehe~ Cat on a Leash."

"Huh.."

Interesting. It wasn't what she pictured, but she could see it working well with the sounds.

When the music finally came to an end, Raven stood back up straight and sighed deeply. Instead of applause, Mau5 put his fingers together perfectly (like he always does) and nodded.

"Very good!"

He then switched the song on the large stereo set that he had amped up in the 'studio room'

A soft melody of electronic syncs began to pour in the room. She smiled. _Oh yes, I know this one too._

Mau5 returned the smile. "Strobe."

"I have a dance for this one." Raven said, waiting for the music to build.

She started by moving her hips and shoulders. Then it grew to a full-blown dance. She swung here, slid there.

The lights began to grow dim.

Neon spotlights powered on and began to circle the room. They were a beautiful array cyan and royal blue.

She moved where the music told her to go.

Next thing she knew, she was lost in a sea of light. The music called and called, and she responded with spins and thrusts and moves.

_I feel. __**Alive.**_

As she danced, Mau5 was suddenly next to her. He was moving too. She glanced at him as she swam in the colors of blue. He swayed and his feet guided him next to her. He was not as fluid as she was, but he stayed to the beat and in step with her all the same.

She watched him as he watched her.

_Can. You. Feel. This?_

Raven's heart was racing. _Wot's happening?_

Before she knew it, Mau5 gripped her hands and was swinging her with him. He held her close as they continued to dance.

_Wot the bloody hell are you trying to do, rat? _But she did not stop. She couldn't. The music had her captivated and he had her trapped in their movements.

The music was starting to build.

Raven suddenly got excited as she was curious to see where this dance they were performing would go once the music reached the drop.

And then it hit.

Mau5's arms wrapped around her and his palms pressed flat on her back. An electrical feeling of warmth, rush and emotion sparked her senses. She could feel the pulse form his hands matching perfectly with the rushing melody of the song.

It was like…. That drug. He had trigger the feeling in her again. But it wasn't as strong. She was still in control. She remained frozen in his grasp, staring up into his blank eyes, which were slowly beginning to glow again, and she fed on the feelings he was sending through her body. His smile was keen. There was something about that smile that told her he had something in mind. But what?

Once the music began to calm down again, he let her go. He turned his back to her and slowly began to walk to the stereo system.

Raven remained glued to the spot, staring after him. She felt somewhat concerned and puzzled.

"Wot… was that?"

Mau5 only turned to look over his shoulder, his insane grin returned. "What was what?"

Raven frowned, still confused.

"Raven… do you believe that people can learn more from each other through movement than words?"

She thought on his words more, tying it in with that last experience before she answered, "Sure."

Mau5's grin only grew bigger. "Good."

The rodent was definitely up to something. The jolt he gave her from his touch…. Was it really triggered by that red liquid? And if so, was he aware of this; that he could just touch her and trigger that same strange, arousing emotion?

She then looked down at the floor, trying to hide her face that was starting to blush a bit. Was that feeling something she could really call 'being slightly aroused'? _Dear god…._

"How many more dances do you have down, lil Raven?" Mau5 asked her, his attention now on the audio box in front of him.

"Uh.. I believe just three more."

"Okay~"

Raven bit down on her lower lip, shaking herself of the thoughts.

_Fuck that,_ she muttered in a silent breath. _It's just that bloody chemical in my system._ Then another thought came to her….

_I really do hope the effects in the chemical don't last forever._


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh, darling, you look precious!" Jerry exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He looked over her up and down on all sides, nodding approvingly. "Can you see well out of that mask?"

Raven looked about the room through the silky white and black mask. "Yes. Well… kind of."

"It was difficult for me to find a material that was opaque that you could still see through."

Raven squinted, trying to make out details of everything around her better. She could see, it just wasn't clear. She had fuzzy black and white textures messing her vision as she looked through the slim fitted mask. But she liked it; it made her feel mysterious.

"Come over to the mirror, precious. Have a look"

Raven turned to where Jerry stood as he gestured to a full body mirror next to him.

Hips swaying from the high-heeled boots, she walked over and looked. A smile crept up her hidden face.

Staring back at her was the heart-masked woman with the neon and blue raver outfit she had always dreamed of. She kept staring. She _loved_ it.

"Well?" Jerry asked with anticipation.

"It's perfect!" Raven said, giggling slightly. Oh how very exciting.

"Oh, I'm glad you think so."

Marie stood next to Jerry, smiling. "Are you going to show Mau5?"

Raven cocked her head, thinking. "Nah. He has to wait til the show."

Marie chuckled. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Marie asked, now standing in front of it to guard it shut.

"MAY I COME IN?" Thomas's voice echoed from outside.

Marie turned back to Raven. "Is it alright if he sees?"

"Sure," Raven nodded. She stood in the middle of the room, hand on hip. She felt like a straight up badass in her new costume.

Thomas entered and he was immediately drawn to the bright colors. The words 'wow' scrolled on his visor. "YOUR TOUR COSTUME CAME OUT GREAT."

"Thank you." Raven said, grinning. Of course, no one could tell.

"YOU MIGHT WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET ENOUGH DANCING PRACTICE WHILE WEARING IT. ITS MORE DIFFICULT THAN YOU THINK."

"Don't worry, I plan on it." Raven replied. She was curious how Thomas would know what its like wearing a costume. "How would you know how difficult it is, by the way?"

"I'M A ROBOT. I DIDN'T ALWAYS WEAR HUMAN CLOTHES." He gestured to his black, leather get up. "IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MOVE MY ARMS AND LEGS WHEN I FIRST PUT THEM ON."

Raven nodded, agreeing.

"IF YOU ARE DONE HERE, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE BOTH YOU AND MARIE TO THE STUDIO. GUY AND I HAVE PRODUCED A NEW SONG AND WOULD LIKE TO PREFORM IT FOR YOU." The word 'music' appeared where his eyes should be.

_Oh really…_ Raven thought. She had not heard a full song by them. She was very curious now.

...

Raven quickly dressed out of her costume and packed it away. The silver robot then led them through the twisting hallways into the big open room of their studio. The giant, black pyramid was lit up and guy was already standing up on top. A heart appeared on his golden helmet when he noticed the company.

"YOU READY TO HEAR SOME MUSIC?" He asked, as his partner walked around the back of their stage to join him.

"Always." Marie shouted back up, beaming at them.

Thomas's body emerged next to Guy and he pointed near the two girls. "Have a seat."

Raven turned to see a small set of theatre chairs lined up nine by six. She and Marie both took a seat in the front row.

As she watched the two metallic robots tweak their knobs, she began to wonder where the other DJ was. It wasn't like him to be away from everyone-

She suddenly felt a soft poke on her left shoulder. She turned and looked up.

"Hi there," Mau5 said softly, grinning down at her. He hopped over the front row of seats and sat down next to her. "You're going to love Thomas and Guy's music~"

"Is it anything like yours?"

"Oh yes, I'd say so. Of course, they have their own signature touch to it."

"What do they call themselves as musicians?" Raven asked curiously. She didn't even know if they had a 'group' name, seeing as they didn't get out very much.

"Daft Punk." Marie replied.

Raven's eyes light up. _Ahhh… so that's what that meant on the back of their jackets._ She remembered seeing the name, but never thought much of it. It appeared to be nothing more than just a clothes brand or something.

The music started pretty catchy and poppy. It was a happy, electronic sounding melody. Slowly, as the music began to build, the lights dimmed and brilliant patterns of colors began to flicker around the black pyramid. Raven felt a grin growing on her face. She felt a rush of energy zip up her spin; it was the kind of feeling you got when you heard a chord or series of chords that you really liked. She could tell already this song was going to be good.

The lights completely faded to black, except for the small dancing colors around the two DJs. As Guy continued to keep the steady melody flowing, Thomas lifted a mic to his face:

"_ONE MORE TIME~"_

The large spot lights on the floor burst to life with colors of orange, red and blue and began to circle the ceiling slowly, just as the music's bass intensified.

Amazing. She never imagined that they would be the type to sing. Thomas had a good voice; she'd give him that.

She watched as the robots' hands moved about quickly over their sync boards, clicking sounds, waving the synths , and hitting pedals. They were a perfect team, fully on time with each other.

"_ONE MORE TIME~ WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE~ OH YEAH~ ALRIGHT~ DON'T STOP THE DANCIN'~"_

Her feet were tapping to the catchy tune. She liked this a lot. She liked Daft Punk's music.

"_ONE MORE TIME~"_

As soon as the music began to slow pace again, the sounds of just a deep keyboard filled the room. Calm. But so very much **alive.**

"_MMMMM~"_

She shivered. It worked perfectly… With Thomas's robotic tone, the singing flowed so smoothly with the synths and sounds.

Those chills of energy flowing through her; the rush that felt like tiny prickles all over her skin, were returning. Her heart was beating heavily. This music was feeding her so much emotion. She then remembered Thomas and Guy saying how Mau5 had waves naturally produced in his music to send signals to people. They also mentioned that they had it too… Oh yes, they certainly did… in fact, it was **very** strong.

"_OHH~ I'M JUST FEELIN'~ CELEBRATION… TONIGHT~"_

Raven closed her eyes as the lights became a soft blur of purple and blue.

"_CELEBRATE~ DON'T WAIT TOO LATE~ MMMMM-NO!"_

She swayed her head as Thomas's voice captivated her in a trance. She listened and took it in deeply.

"_WE DON'T STOP-AH~ YOU CAN'T STOP-AH~ WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE~ ONE MORE TIME…. ONE MORE TIME…. ONE MORE TIME~"_

Yes. One more time.

The music began to grow again. She reopened her eyes and she could see both Thomas's visor and Guy's helmet glowing a bright white.

"_A CELEBRATION~ YOU KNOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT ALRIGHT-AH~ TONIGHT-AH~ HEY! JUST FEELIN'~ MUSIC'S COMING FEELIN' ON ME~ ME! YEAH~ COME ON! ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE…"_

Raven held her breath just as the music slowed again.

"_ONE MORE TIME… CELEBRATE AND DANCE OF FREE~ MUSIC'S COMING FEELIN' SO FREE. CELEBRATE AND DANCE SO FREE. ONE MORE TIME. MUSIC'S COMING FEELIN' OF FREE-"_

Thomas continued to build the lyrics as his hand began to turn more pedals. Guy bobbed his head as the same melody from the beginning began to flood in. The lights were intensifying once more.

Raven almost felt like the sound of the bass and rhythm, along with the brightness of the performance in front of her were pressing her firmly against the back of her seat. She felt her hand clenching the armrest as the excitement built.

"_ONE MORE TIME. MUSIC'S COMING FEELIN' OF FREE. CELEBRATE AND DANCE SO FREE. ONE MORE TIME~"_

A hand rested softly on her clenching hand. She only looked down at if for a second and realized it was Mau5's. She did not bother looking up at him… she only stared at his hand as she continued to absorb the emotion feeding to her through the sounds.

As she continued to hear the pulsing brilliance of Thomas's echoing voice and the dancing beats of Guy's work, she felt some whiskers tickle the side of her left ear. Her eyes still remained fixed on the large hand covering her own.

"Ready to tour, lil Raven?" Came his whispering voice.

Raven felt a small grin on her face. "You bet I am."

She finally looked up to see Mau5 grinning at her with delight. She couldn't help but smile back.

She felt bad however… Truth was, she really did feel excited to tour and dance to this kind of music. But what she was more looking forward to was the chance of escaping…

_Just gotta hope we'll make a stop somewhere and England… then I might have a chance of being home free._

…

A Week Later. Tour. Day one.

Low energy from lack of sleep. Raven sat in the front booth of a small trailer car, holding her head up on her arm as she stared sleepily out the window. It was one of those trailer cars that had the tented windows so no one could see in… she liked that.

A group of men that were hired were almost finished with packing up all the equipment. This included sound systems, lights, sync boards, cables… yeah, the usual.

Mau5 clicked the button on the portable microwave, which opened the door. He'd then close the door and repeat, very amused.

"Loooook~ we have a microwave to take with us!" He was very excited. Her guess was he had never traveled in one of these trailers before.

Raven turned over to him and smiled. "Silly rat."

He quickly turned to her, his ears perking and his large smile becoming a sudden frown. "Meee? I'm no rat."

Raven chuckled. "I'm just teasin' you."

His frown slowly faded and he quickly then forgot the comment. He went back to his amusement with the microwave.

Raven sighed softly and leaned her head back against the wall. Her head made a loud **thunk** against the plastic coating. "Ouch.." She mumbled.

"Aw, Raven, are you sleepy?"

"Yeah… I didn't rest much."

"How come?"

She shrugged slightly. "Nervous about tonight."

Mau5's grin became idiotic. "You'll do just fine."

Raven gave a weak smile, as her eyes heavily blinked at the floor. She wished this damn thing had soft pillows or something to lie down on. Guess the government was too cheap to provide them with top quality travel.

"Want to lay down?" Mau5 offered.

"I would but it's not comfortable. I can just stay awake."

Mau5 quickly leaped up and sat down next to her in the double booth. "Lay down on me~"

Raven gave him a skeptical look. "Uh, I'd rather not.."

"You need to rest before the show. Otherwise you'll be too tired to dance."

She looked at him. He seemed pretty serious. His mouth had formed a solid line on his face, as he looked at her hard with his milky white eyes. Her gut wanted to resist, but from the looks of him, she had a feeling he wouldn't except 'no' for an answer.

"Geez, fine, fine," Raven mumbled. She slowly leaned down to her side and rested her head on his lap. Before she settled herself down she made sure to add: "I swear, though, you do anything to me while I'm asleep, I'll kick your ass."

Mau5 only giggled to himself, his tail curling with delight. "Rest, Raven~" He hummed to her.

Raven had barely closed her eyes for a minute, when the side door of the trailer opened. Guy poked his head in. Raven picked her head up and stared at him, feeling a bit embarrassed by the situation.

Guy only gave a smiley icon on his face, but it then quickly vanished. "OKAY, MAU5. EVERYTHING IS PACKED UP. READY?"

Mau5's ears curled. "Mhmmm~"

"NOW, REMEMBER, IF YOU GET INTO ANY MORE MISCHIEF, YOU'LL LOSE YOUR PRIVLIGE TO TOUR COMPLETELY." Guy shook his head slowly, the image of a finger waging skeptically appeared on his helmet.

"I know, I know~"

"JAMES AND DANIEL WILL BE TRAVELING WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T INTERACT WITH ANYMORE HUMANS. BE GOOD."

"I will, I promise, Guy."

Guy still stared up at Mau5, making sure his word was reliable. Then he nodded. "GOOD LUCK, BOTH OF YOU. WE'LL SEE YOU IN A FEW DAYS." He closed the door shut and a few seconds later, the trailer's engine kicked on.

Raven looked up to Mau5. "A few days? Are we not touring that long?"

"No.. we are. But I told Guy and Thomas we would meet up with them after we finished touring the major cities in France first. Then, we'll hit England, then Spain and then Germany. And I think that is all for this tour…"

Raven felt her heart leap. _Yes! They'd be in England in a few days._ Or so she hoped. Either way, she was getting closer to her chance of freedom.

"C'mon, now, back to sleep with you~" Mau5 softly touched her head with his palm.

Raven sighed, eager for that chance. But she obeyed just this once and let the vibration of the trailer and her exhaustion numb her to unconsciousness.


	14. Chapter 14

Somewhere, up in the hills. Dark. Barely any moonlight.

He thumped his powerful legs against the dirt, snorting. Raven had not come again.

This was the third night she had been absent. Where could she be?

The creature lurking in the shadows began to pant hard. Panic was building inside.

"Rrrr...Rrrr.." So lonely.

The creature hopped through the fields to the top of a sloped hill. There, he got a clear view of the city lights.

Eyes of pool white scanned the cityscape, searching. Where was Raven?

The beast knew the scientists were still looking for him. And he knew that those other humans in uniform who rode around in the vehicles with the loud sirens were looking for him too. It was dangerous to move about in the city too much. But he wanted to find his friend...

With another loud snort, and a pissy grunt, he took off through the night. The dirt kicked up behind him as his powerful legs flew him through the crisp air. Head low, front paws tucked in to his belly, he darted through the open grass and then through some brush of trees and bushes.

He would start searching the places he first seen her. Then, he would work from there.

...

"It's been so long, I've been out of my body with you~"

Raven's eyes flutter slightly, but did not fully open. She still felt tired.

"I feel alone~ Feel at home~ Feel like nothing is true~"

She could hear the chuckling of a certain rodent as he jammed to his tunes. She began to get a sense of where she was again. She hated that feeling of emerging out of the dream world and forgetting where she had fallen asleep.

"…Mau5?" She asked, her voice groggy.

"Oh Raven~" She heard Dead Mau5 reply. "You're awake. You didn't sleep very long.."

"How long?"

"Only two hours."

She grumbled, her face pressed against his leg. No wonder she still felt exhausted.

"You can stay there and try to sleep longer if you want~"

Raven thought about it. She lay still, seeing if her body was still tired enough to go back into unconsciousness. _Nope..._

Placing her hand down on the table in front of them, she slowly sat up and blinked heavily to the sunlight now hitting her square in the face. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the light, she peered out the window. The trailer car was quickly rolling along the road of the countryside somewhere. The sun was barely above the horizon, pouring rays of yellow over the grassy fields. _How nice…_ Raven thought, feeling a mix of calm and grumpy.

"What song is this, Raven?" Mau5 asked, quizzing her.

"Ummmm… wot is this song… wait. Ghosts n' … whatever."

Mau5 giggle squeaked. This was what Raven thought of as his giggle snort, since he was a mouse and he squeaked instead of snorted. That's what it sounded like, anyway.

"Close. I think you're getting the titles of my songs mixed around."

"I'll get them right eventually. I mean, it's not like I have to say them aloud at the performances, right?"

Mau5 only shook his head, grinning his idiotic grin. "You won't have to talk at all. Just dance and be pretty~"

Raven rolled her eyes slightly and nodded.

"Been trying to think of a new opening statement while you slept."

"Mhm?" Raven said, only partly interested.

"I want the announcer to say 'the mouse from Canada who is, well, dead: Deadmau5!'"

Raven's eyebrows firmed as she thought about that. "Canada?" She did remember the night she first saw him back in Essex, there were rumors saying he was supposedly from North America. "But… aren't you from France? With Thomas and Guy?"

"Technically…yes." Mau5 said, his smile becoming sinister and clever. "But they aren't really from France, are they?"

"No, I suppose not…" Raven said, looking back out the window.

"It's another government thing. I need to pretend to be from a place other than Europe just so no one can associate me with Daft Punk. You know, just to make it look normal.."

"Does anyone really know of Daft Punk? They really don't seem like the type to get around much."

"They've been around for a while. But they stay low. We both have to stay as underground musicians; otherwise the media might learn too much about us."

Raven thought about that. _Made sense…_ but still, if their objective here on Earth is to spread their music and positive messages to people, you would think they would be more successful with a little bit more fame.

Suddenly the small door dividing the driver's section and the rest of the trailer opened, and a small looking guy in a spiffy suit poked his head in from his passenger seat. Raven stared at him, remembering that they actually had company. She looked upon this small man, thinking. _Strange that such a small person would be the bodyguard. Shouldn't it be someone big and muscular? _

The man gave a huge, friendly grin up at Dead Mau5. "How you doin' Mau5? Long time no see!"

Mau5 returned a large, crazy smile with his hears perking up with glee. "Oh Jaaaames~! Hiya!"

The man, James reached out his hand into a tight fist, and Mau5 bumped it with his own. Raven guessed these two had toured together at some point.

"Raven, this is James. He's a good friend of ours."

"Been working with these freaks since I was eighteen." James said, nodding to Raven.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Eighteen?"

"Yeah I know, sounds crazy. My entire family has tight ties in the government, especially with social foreign affairs, so they got me hooked up in working with top secret affairs."

"Sooo… you're from America?" Raven asked, guessing by his slang accent.

"Sure am. And this here is partner, Daniel." James said, motioning to the driver next to him on the right.

Raven stood up to look around the wall that divided them. There, in the driver seat, sat a very huge man. Huge didn't quite define it enough. This man, from head to toe, seemed to be leaking giant pulsing pounds of solid muscle. She could see the muscles bulging from his thick neck, his arms, and his legs…. This man was like a boulder.

Raven's eyes were swollen with surprise. Now there was the perfect kind of bodyguard.

Daniel looked over his shoulder for a few seconds to nod and smile to Raven, "Hello." His voice was an average and deep voice, but pleasantly polite as well.

"Nice to meet you both." Raven said.

"You too, little missy. How old are you?" James said, turning in his seat to get a better look at her.

"I'll be 18 in two months or so..."

"Ohhhh, awfully young." He commented, giving a keen and skeptical eye to Mau5. But then he shrugged it off with a large grin.

James began to go onto a topic with Mau5 about their last tours. Raven pretended to nod and smile as if she was listening… but really, she was panicking inside. She had actually convinced herself that this escape plan would be easy. Then reality hit. She only had to look upon this Daniel for a second and realized that trying to get away from a man like that would be impossible. And judging by his uptight, professional posture, he would be on their asses the whole entire time. Having a chance to be alone and make a run for it probably wasn't going to happen. She continued to occasionally look up at Mau5 or James, who ever was talking, but she kept her attention on the driver. She observed how he held himself up straight, kept both hands tightly squeezed on the top parts of the steering wheel. Everything about him intimidated her. _How the bloody hell am I suppose to get away from this bloke?_

…

They arrived in Orléans first. Then they would make their way to Bordeaux and then Marseille. After completing their three stops in France, they'd return to Paris, celebrate, and then ride the underground train to get to England. Or so that was the plan Raven had heard….

This city was definitely not as crowded as Paris. But that might make it a good thing. Less people. And less people who will have heard of their show. And even less who will actually show up to see it.

They would be performing in an hour. She was shaking she was so nervous. _Bloody hell…_ She shook her head slowly as she pulled her neon blue tights on. _I only can hope Mau5's magically drug will kick in and make this effortless when I start dancing. _Raven knew performers were always under a lot of pressure when on stage. But when she had thought to be a dancer, she had not considered that pressure on herself. Now she did. And it scared her. But it was much too late to back out now.

Her fingers kept getting tangled in the laces on her boots as she tried to tie them up. She couldn't hold herself still. _Fuckin… hell… _She then reached for her skintight mask that lay next to her. She hastily pulled it over her head and adjusted it comfortably.

"Oh Raaaaaven~"

Raven shuddered and turned around to see the delighted mouse DJ waltzing towards her. He was already fully dressed in his spiffy suit and neon red tie which matched his face. His tail had been tucked down in his pants like he had done before when she first saw him.

"Wot?" Raven asked, her voice slightly cracking.

Mau5's eyes blinked heavily as his large grin softened. "You sound nervous."

"No shit.." Raven said. "I've never done this before. For an audience, that is." She began to reach for the neon blue wig on the table next to her, when Mau5's hand gripped her wrist.

"Relax, lil Raven. It's just like when you were dancing for me. Remember?"

Raven looked at him through her mask. She knew he couldn't see her gaze, which made it easier to stare. "Yeah, I remember."

Mau5's grin widened again. But then he added: "If you still feel nervous about this, would you like me to give you another hit of my mixture?"

Raven flinched a little. Sudden panic rose up in her. Not only did she not want to have that feeling of no control, but she also realized that her current situation was too similar to the last time.

She tried to shift her weight away from Mau5 and play it causal. "Uh…. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh don't worry, Raven. I'd only give you a drop." He made a motion with his fingers to show a very small amount. "Just enough for my music to kick into your senses. But not enough for other side effects~" Mau5's grin got a little sinister as he explained.

Raven slowly shook her head. "How do you know for certain that'll be the outcome?"

Mau5 thought for a second, his face blank. "Dunno. I'm just making a logical assumption."

"Logical?" Raven spat, almost laughing. But then her gaze looked to the door which lead to the stage, and her stomach began to tighten. She was beginning to consider it. She then looked back at Dead Mau5 who was waiting for her to reply.

"…Alright. But a **very** small drop," Raven said, mimicking his original gesture with her fingers.

Mau5's tail curled. "One sec…" He moved passed her and went for his bag of personal belongs. He pulled out a vile that was wrapped up in a towel.

"…Why are you carrying that around with you?"

His face expression was a mix between sheepish and guilty. "Ohhhh well~ I thought I might keep it just… in case you need it?"

Raven felt her inner self twitch with irritation and concern. But she quickly tossed that thought aside. It wasn't important right now.

Mau5 looked at her hesitantly. "Eh… you can't drink this. It needs to be put in your blood stream directly." He then revealed a small syringe that was also wrapped in the towel. He opened the vile and the syringe and poured the liquid in.

"You're arm?" Mau5 asked, holding out his hand.

Raven hesitated, but gave him her arm, facing up. He slowly stuck the needle in and punched it down. Raven felt the tingle after a few seconds. Wasn't nearly as bad as getting a full amount.

She waited longer for… something. "I dun feel anything." Raven said softly.

Mau5 smiled. "You won't until you hear the music."

Raven couldn't help but smile back at that comment. _Interesting…_

She finally grabbed the neon blue wig and placed it down on her head. Hopefully, this wouldn't kill her.

It was time to do what she did best.


	15. Chapter 15

The lights were not even on yet. The crowd was screaming with anticipation. She could even see their faint outline just below from where she stood.

Something about _this_ didn't seem right. She couldn't tell for sure why.

Mau5 was just behind her, stationed at his sync box. They both knew the crowd had seen them slink onto the stage. They were hungry for entertainment. But Mau5 wanted to play with them a bit. He kept them waiting.

Raven stood, her knees slightly buckled as she waited. She was so thankful for the mask she wore, so that no one would see her face.

'_Since I was really impressed by how you danced to Move For Me, that will be the opening song. I know you don't have an official choreograph for that one, but I know you can dance to it. I've seen you.'_

Raven was nervous. So what… just try and remember how she danced to it during the last concert? She didn't think she could do it. She felt her heart pulse throbbing in her neck. Her nerves were burning under her skin.

Inhale. Deep breaths.

Suddenly, she heard the deep bass begin to fade in. The crowd's screaming got louder, and the people in the front of the stage began to jump around violently. Raven closed her eyes and tipped her head down, trying not to focus on the people, but the music.

Her hands began to twitch. She felt a buzz in the back of her skull. She grinned softly under her mask. Mau5's chemical was kicking in. The beats of the song were beginning to throb in the two large speakers next to her. In response, her body began to move ever so slightly in rhythm.

She heard Mau5's voice flood in with the music on his mic. "Hi friends."

The crowd immediately screamed in response, just like the crowd back in Essex. This crowd was much louder, however; much bigger.

Another voice came on from a set of speakers above them.

"Merci, mesdames et messieurs. Puissions-nous présenter ce DJ qui est venu à travers les mers du Canada vient tout juste d'être ici ce soir. Deadmau5!"

The crowd screamed even more. The people just at the front of the stage were jumping up and down, almost trying to grab Raven's feet in the process. Raven did her best to ignore them, and the loud voice over the speakers. She could still hear the music as it began to grow louder. She kept her focus tight on it alone.

And then that soft voice flooded in...

"_Here we go… Another night out."_

Blue lights, perfectly on cue.

"_Waited all week… just to get out."_

Raven had taken her body and began to flex it back and forth on the stage. She had become nothing but a mere puppet, and the music was the master pulling the strings.

Twisting. Thrusting. Moving.

"_Where do we come from?"_

As her eyes gazed over the crowd, she saw the people in the very front, hypnotized. They seemed to be moving ever so slightly in the same directions as she did. There was a look of enjoyment and concentration on the faces that were lit up by the soft blue spotlights.

"_Do I know your name?"_

Suddenly, they looked about this dancer before them. They didn't know who she was. They didn't know what she looked like. They wanted to know.

"_Does it really matter?"_

Just as the blue light faded over the front of the crowd and focus in on Raven from all different directions, there came a look of relief to the crowd. Were they really affected this greatly by the music?

"_In this light…. We're all the same!"_

Raven moved.

The crowd moved.

Mau5's music continued to influence the minds of these people.

"_Move for meeeeee~ I move for youuuuu~"_

The panic was still there. It came in waves. She had to keep telling herself one thing; _I'm not myself. Tonight, I am not myself. Tonight… I was a performer. I am the one entertaining._

"_Move for meeeee~ I move for youuuu~"_

The music's build had her spinning on her hands, and her feet and legs flew around in circles. Her center core was flexing violently. It was a good feeling. The music felt like it was in her flesh; in her arms, her legs, her back and in her face. It was very tightly packed around her face; in her eyes, jaw, nose, and throat. It was pulsing in her. Very much **alive**. This was the feeling that both Mau5 and Daft Punk were so desperate to spread among humanity. She knew the crowd did not feel it as dramatically as she did. Mau5's chemical really amped out the feelings. But Raven knew, as she glanced at the faces among her, they were still feeling it. They could not stop smiling, or moving. The music was itching in their skin too.

Just then, the music cut off and she could hear the crowd's screams ringing in her ears once again. She froze awkwardly from the sudden cut off, held the pose to try and make up for it, and then slowly relaxed her stance.

"Thank you Orléans for having us here tonight." Mau5's voice echoed in the overhead speakers. The crowd responded. Raven looked over her shoulder at him. _Us?_

Dead Mau5 lifted his hands in the air, beaming fiendishly. There came someone from the audience that shouted "Votre visage! Your face! Pourquoi votre visage comme ça?"

Mau5 only grinned and placed a finger down on his sync board. Slowly he lifted a deep bass.

"Here… Enjoy some chords of mine."

Raven grinned. Some Chords, indeed. This dance was going to be an interesting one.

…

Some Chords was a success. So was Strobe. She felt like she was tiring out by the time they got to Ghosts n Stuff, as well as Cat on a Leash. Mau5 had seen it. He called for a fifteen-minute break, which most performers never did. As the two of them left the stage, they got a few disappoint cries and disappoint scowls.

In the back stage, Raven immediately collapsed in a chair, and ripped the wig and mask off of her, gasping for air.

"Not doing okay…" Mau5 mumbled, more as a statement than a question.

Raven nodded, still trying to cool down. "I normally… don't… dance this long without… taking a break."

Mau5's ears drooped slightly, and he placed his fingertips together. "I could use some water… please…" Raven panted.

"Oh~ Oh of course." Mau5 gave an ashamed frown, and scurried off to fetch a bottle of water.

Raven leaned forward on her knees, hunched over. She tried to breath slower and deeper. _Bloody… Fucking… Hell…_ She forgot to consider that her endurance wasn't efficient enough to do things like this. She combed her fingers through her sweaty hair, as her body temperature slowly began to descend.

Mau5 squatted in front of her, and handed her an icy cold water bottle. She snatched it greedily from him, twisted the cap off and slammed the tip to her lips. She drank it deeply.

Mau5 watched her, his eyes large and round. Once she finished and gasped for more air, he perked his ears forward. "How are you feeling now?"

Raven just glanced up at him. It was a mix between a smirk and a scowl. She knew it only confused him more. This amused her.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked.

She shook her head, still taking in deep breaths. "I think I'll be alright."

Mau5 stared for a little bit. He hesitated before he asked, "Are you going to be able to finish the show? You don't have to dance through the whole thing."

Raven sat there, thinking and trying to read herself. "….I think so. I mean… I want to finish. Don't wanna look like a pussy."

Mau5 gave a small chuckle. "Oh~ Oh good. But you sure you can keep it up? The show still has another hour left…"

"Bloody hell, that's a long show, Mau5." Raven almost coughed as she shouted at him.

Dead Mau5 only grinned back. "Sorry, but I like to perform. I asked for two or three hours at least for my shows on this tour. This one is two hours."

"That's awfully long compared to your show in Essex. I mean, fuck… how long are the other shows?"

"They vary, Raven~ Some places agreed to allow me to play three hours… but most of them usually ask that I play two or just one hour."

Raven gasped and swung her head down as she slumped over. Well, hopefully this will make her endurance increase quickly.

"How many of the performances in France are three hours?"

"This is the only one." he smiled. "Don't worry…"

"Good.." Raven sighed, almost in a whisper.

She suddenly shivered as she felt the rodent DJ's tail brush the side of her arm. She looked down at it and then up into his face.

"I don't mean to rush you, but if you are ready, we need to get back out on the stage… crowd is growing impatient."

Raven nodded slightly. She grabbed her white mask and slipped it back over her head, the sweat making her hair stick to the sides of her face.

"C'mon, lil Raven~ Let's finish this performance."


	16. Chapter 16

She could still feel the pulse throbbing in the back of her skull. She thought she was going to go deaf… and that feeling. Those bloody chemicals…

She had splashed cold water all over her face. The water was dripping down her nose and eyelashes into the sink that she was leaning over in the small, crowded bathroom.

Shuddering, clinching.

The first night of their tour was pretty decent. However, her body was reacting badly to the stress she had put herself under. Not only was it fighting the side affects to Mau5's drug, but also she was physically exhausted from so much dancing. She had come into the bathroom, thinking she was going to be sick to her stomach. To some of her relief, she did not throw up. But she still felt like she needed to.

"Raven? Are you going to be okay in there~?" Squeaked Dead Mau5 from behind the closed door.

"Hang on a bloody second.." Raven mumbled as loud as she could. She tipped her head back and took in deep breaths, waiting for any sign of nausea to hit her again… …. … It did not come.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine now." Raven opened the door and Mau5 stood directly in front of it, fidgeting.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yes…" Raven said, slightly scowling. She was getting a little annoyed with Mau5's constant worrying. It was a bit too much to bear.

"My mix is still giving you bad side effects, eh?"

Raven's eyes fluttered a bit, trying to not stare at his face. "A bit."

"What's wrong now?"

"Nothing!" Raven hissed.

But that wasn't true. Even though she felt the nausea first, Mau5's other effect in the chemical was stirring around in her system. She felt…. Wot was the word for it? _Angsty_?

Mau5 observed her expression. He observed the feelings she was fighting. "Raven…. Are you.."

"No."

"I didn't even ask anything yet." Mau5 said. His tone sounded like a mix between annoyance and eagerness.

"Wot, then?" Raven said, looking down at the floor and leaning against the doorframe.

"Are the chemicals making you feel horny again?"

Raven's nose wrinkled up. "Don't say that word, it sounds weird coming from you."

"Horny?" Mau5 asked casually.

Raven looked back up at him, glaring. "Yes, Mau5. That word."

"Well, are you though?" He asked. The eagerness was more obvious now.

"Just a bit, yes…" Raven mumbled.

"Well~ I can-"

"No, no." Raven immediately said. "It will pass."

She wasn't use to the feeling of being horny being an uncontrollable thirst. Usually it was a feeling that she knew was there, but it was easy to just ignore. This was different. The chemicals in Mau5's mix triggered her brain to make her think she _needed_ to satisfy this thirst.

"You sure you don't want-"

"YES, I'm sure, Mau5." Raven said, clinching her jaw.

Mau5 fell silent, but remained next to her.

Raven looked up, feeling a bit irritated even more with his presents still looming over. "Wot?"

"Well, Raven… if you're sure… I'll let you rest. We have a while before we head back out on the road and start the next show."

Raven nodded. Only two more shows. If she slept for the entire time, and did not wake until a few minutes before performing, she would be fine. Forget eating, after that experience, food did not sound good for a long time.

…

The third night had passed in Marseille.

The last show in France had been over a while ago. Raven was now lounging on a loveseat in the back room, resting. Her entire body was soar. This had to be the most intense workout session she ever had. Her eyes had been closed as she listened to the music that continued thumping and booming through the thick walls of the warehouse. It sounded soft and soothing from how muffled it was.

How long had it been since they left for this tour? 4 days? Almost 5? She supposed she could count it as 5 since midnight had already rolled over. She suspected it would take another day to return to Daft Punk's studio. Then, to be safe, count another day for the so-called 'celebration' they had mentioned. Then they would be off to England.. Another day. So, in three days, more or less, they would be back in her country. 3 more days of prison... and then freedom was her's to grab. Raven had almost begun to drift asleep with a smile on her face for this thought, when she heard voices coming from the room next door. She opened one eyelid to look at the door dividing the rooms and listened in. Mau5 was talking to someone… She sat up and listened more intently. The voice of the other person was too soft; she couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Come now, why would such a curious lil girl be creeping around in the back, Cyndi? You are up to no good~"

Raven immediately stood up. That didn't sound good at all…

The girl, Cyndi, said something, but she was too quiet to hear her exact words. Then Mau5 replied: "Well if you wanted to see me, why didn't you say so? Hehehe~ Why not stay for a while? I can give you a good time-"

Raven's hand was on the door handle now. She thrust it open. Mau5's beaming face instantly turned to her. In his hand was another one of his syringes filled with his red mixture. The girl, a platinum blond, who wore bright, colorful and extremely tight clothes and those ridiculous candy beads all down her arms, stared at Raven as well. Raven's eyes looked back and forth between the girl and the mouse DJ. The poor girl was slightly shaking, her arms hugging her skeleton-like body tightly. Her eyes were beginning to water and the thick, caked make-up on her face was smudged. As much as Raven detested the sight of her, she couldn't help but related to her current situation. It hadn't been that long ago, even though it felt like forever….

Raven threw a nasty look at Mau5. "Wot the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Oh~ I just thought we could use another friend." Mau5 said in a sheepish voice, acting completely innocent.

"Wot do you mean 'another friend'? Don't you remember wot Guy and Thomas told you? You can't be doing this still!" Mau5 was aware of what Raven meant. She was trying not to speak of it in too much detail, fearing that Cyndi would panic even more.

"Sure, I remember~ But Raven, I meant no harm like that. And you seem so lonely at the studio…" Mau5 said, fingering the details on the syringe. "I thought you'd like to have some more company…"

The blonde was hastily darting her eyes at Raven and Mau5, and then at the door, which Mau5 was blocking. The poor thing looked desperate. She had to be no older than 16….

"Besides, Raven… She's a lot like you~ She's so pretty." A huge, fiendish grin crept up on the rodent's face as his bright eyes gleamed at the toothpick girl.

Immediately, Raven made a tight fist and smacked Mau5 hard into the cheekbone. He let out a high pitch squeak, stumbled side ways, and dropped the drug in his hands. The fragile glass needle shattered on impact, and the red liquid inside splattered all over the floor. Cyndi let out a soft gasp, and waited to see what would happen.

Raven had had enough of Mau5's selfishness. Her anger and frustration had boiled over so quickly. She then turned to Cyndi and grabbed her by the scrawny arm. She struggled a bit, but Raven managed to drag her passed Mau5, open the door to their private room and push her outside. Cyndi looked back at Raven with bewilderment, surprised to be safely out. Raven tried not to let her rage out on the girl, however, her command came out in a nasty sneer: "Leave. Forget what you saw and just go home."

With that, the girl turned on her heels and made a run for it, as Raven closed the door shut. She turned back to Mau5, leering. Mau5 was looking down at the floor at the broken syringe. His gaze slowly lifted and he looked at the door, after the small girl.

"Raven…?" He asked.

"Wot?" Raven said, still feeling sour.

"Were… were you jealous just then?"

Raven's teeth gritted tightly before she let out a harsh bark. "Are you fuckin' high!"

"No…" Mau5 said, his large eyes full of thought.

"Mau5, you know you'r not suppose to reveal yourself to any more humans! Thank fucking God your tail was still hidden!" Then Raven turned back to the door, throwing her hands in the air. "How did she even get past the guards? How did she even get back here!"

"I lead her back here…" Mau5 said softly. He was slightly intimidated by her harsh voice.

"You're so fuckin' selfish! You almost ruined another girl's life!"

"I wasn't going to show her my tail, Raven! I wasn't even going to tell her my face was real…"

Raven still glared. She didn't believe him.

"I'm sorry…" Mau5 said. "I just wanted to have some fun. And I wanted to make some fun for you too."

Raven gave off an angry sigh and began to pick up the large glass shards on the floor. She was done arguing with him. He just didn't get it. She heard him make a soft sound like a chuckled. She looked back up at him.

"I think you were jealous, lil Raven~" Mau5 said, slightly smirking.

"Oh sod off…" Raven scowled, resuming back to the mess at her feet.

Mau5 came over next to her and bent down. "Raven, if you don't want us to have fun with other humans, I won't try again…"

"Mau5, I simple don't want you to take away freedoms from another innocent person, like you did to me."

Mau5's frown drooped a bit more.

"You know, I dun care about you having 'fun' with other girls, whether it be partying or sex or woteva! But it's too risky… you will be revealed for what you really are, and in consequence, they'll never get to be fully apart of society ever again."

As Raven rested her furious glare up at Mau5, her eyes softened a bit.

Even though he loved to rave, even though he appeared to be into drugs, and sex… his eyes reflected innocence. She knew deep down, he had the heart of a child. Yes, she remembered that same look.

"I understand…" Mau5 said. His voice spoke the truth. Through his naïve personality, he seemed to understand the concept of morals; that what he did... and what he wanted to do again... was wrong. Then he placed his finger on his lower lip. "You… weren't even a lil jealous of Cyndi?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "Cyndi is wot you call a typical young teen who is seeking all the wrong types of attention."

"….That wasn't my question…" Mau5 said, staring at Raven.

Raven looked back up into his face. She opened her mouth to answer him right this time, but she didn't know what to say… the words escaped her. So she shut her mouth and finished cleaning the mess on the ground.

Mau5's large mouth returned to his signature smile. His thought process had resulted him to a satisfying conclusion. "Lil Raven~ I'll make this mess up to you… when we get back home, we'll make the celebration extra special."

Raven stood back up and gave him a curious look. "Sure… fine, fine, wotever…"

Mau5 stood up too, and as Raven left the room to find a trash can for the broken glass shards, his mind began to further develop a little plan.


	17. Chapter 17

(AN: Now the angst gets real. I apologize for the long-ass chapter. Enjoy~)

"THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!" Thomas demanded

It had not been five minutes since they had returned to the hidden domain of the robotic musicians, and both Daft Punk and Marie were overwhelmingly thrilled to see that Mau5 had successfully completed a tour in one country.

"Hasn't he done it himself before?" Raven asked, recalling his appearance in her hometown.

"THAT WAS ACTUALLY HIS FIRST ATTEMPT TO TOUR. AND AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE, IT WAS NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL."

Guy patted Mau5 on the back, a thumbs up figure appearing on his face. "YOU DESERVE A MASH DOWN, MAU5."

Raven immediately gave a puzzled look. She had never heard that expression before, and she certainly did not expect to hear it from one of the robots. "A wot?" She asked.

Mau5 was beaming from ear to large, circular ear as he answered her: "Mash down? Oh yes~ That's where all of us take some hits that make us feel really good~" His tail coiled with delight at the thought.

"So…" Raven began, almost sure what he was referencing, "You drug yourself with your own chemical?"

"NO, MAU5'S MIX ONLY WORKS FOR HUMANS, AS IT IS MADE OUT OF HUMAN DRUGS. THOSE DRUGS CANNOT EFFECT US THE SAME, SINCE OUR BRAINS ARE NOT ORGANIC. WE USE SOMETHING DIFFERENT…" Thomas trailed off.

Before Raven could ask, Mau5 burst into an excited laughter. "Electricity and viruses!"

Raven's mouth dropped. "You're joking…"

Both Guy and Thomas shook their heads. "THINK OF OUR MINDS AS A VERY COMPLEX AND ADVANCED COMPUTER." They chanted together. Thomas continued, "WHEN A COMPUTER TAKES IN TOO MUCH ELECTRICITY OR OBTAINS A VIRUS IT CANNOT FIGHT, IT'S PROCESSOR FRIES. NOW THINK OF A VIRUS OR A VOLT OF WATTS TO BE A STRONG DRUG, SUCH AS COCAIN OR HEROIN. AVERAGELY ALMOST ALL HUMANS WOULD DIE FROM AN OVERDOSE. TOO MUCH ELECTRICITY OR VIRUSES IS LIKE AN OVERDOSE ON COCAIN OR HEROIN." Thomas raised both his hands out in front of him, as the words 'not like us' scrolled over his visor. "BUT YOUR COMPUTERS ARE NOT AS STRONG AS US, AND TO US… THOSE 'OVERDOSES' ARE OUR HIGH… OUR TRIP."

Raven only stared at both Thomas and Guy, slightly in shock. Her opinion of them was based around the idea that they were superior beings, perfect, as compared to humans. But after hearing them explain that they wanted to trip out and get high on electric volts and computer viruses, a new idea of these mechanical aliens came to her. Perhaps they were more intelligent than people, and perhaps they were more superior, but they too had emotions; it seemed, as well as desires. And the desire to feel good 'mentally' was the same as anyone else. "Right…" She began. "So wot, you just have to plug yourself into an outlet or a virus and you trip balls?"

The saying was a bit foreign to them, but they understood what she meant. "You can join us, lil Raven~" Mau5 said.

Raven raised an eyebrow. She tried not to look it, but she was keeping her defense up. "Wot do you mean?"

Marie was the one who spoke up. "They provide me with alcohol whenever they have one of their mash downs. A long with a few other things…" She smiled. "So you are welcome to get a rush with us."

Raven was not as surprised to hear that Marie was into this kind of thing, as much as the Daft Punk members. She then made a concerned look. "Mau5's red drug won't be involved, will it?"

"No, no, of course not~" Mau5 said, grinning. He didn't appear to show it, but Raven could still make out a fiendish smile. "Only if you request it, will you be given it~"

As much as the trip of it was an amazing experience and feeling, she did not like the after effects, nor the fact that she couldn't remember anything, not to mention the association of being taken advantage of.

"C'mon, Raven, let's have some fun with the boys. I've never had another person, or another girl join me before," Marie beckoned. There was something about the way she was begging that showed her weak side, thought Raven.

Usually, Raven did not have the personality to do hallucinogens. She was the rebellious raver, who got high on the joys of music alone, and usually declined all offers to speed, shrooms, etc. Once or twice she had smoked weed, and occasionally she drank with her good friend London, or her mother. But up until she had a taste of Mau5's drug, she never had anything quite so intense.

Yet for some reason, tonight was different. The circumstances have changed. Stress from the tour, and the anxiety from the losses around her, she felt a desire to lose herself. She didn't care if she was with beings she didn't really trust. What could she possibly lose at this point?

"Sure.. why not-" But before she could finish, the oversized, red rodent hoisted her in his arms. "Oh good~!" He took his furry face and nuzzled it into her hair. Raven struggled to be released, but she didn't fight him nearly as much as she would have a week ago. She was beginning to get use to his ways and company.

"COME ALONE." Guy said, taking Marie by the arm, gently and guided the group down the glowing blue halls.

…

They emerged into the large studio room. The lights in the floor and the ceiling had been programmed to flicker multiple colors slowly.

A man on the left came in through another pair of doors and met them in the center of the room. He was wheeling a large tray stand on wheels. _Where did he come from?_

He met with Marie, who nodded to him. "That will be all, thank you." And with that, he was dismissed from the room (as well as the entire building).

"Bwahaha~ what do we have?" Mau5 chuckled.

Marie opened the side doors on the stand. Her hands reached in and pulled out a huge clump of cables, all in different lengths and colors. Raven slightly gasped at the sight. Was this process of getting high really that complex?

Marie laid the huge mess of cables on top of the tray, and Guy and Thomas proceeded to organize them. Next, Marie pulled out large batteries, what looked like several different USB drives, and bulky hard drives. Each individual thing was labeled with various things:

_5,000 volts, 10,000 volts, 50,000 volts, 100,000 volts, and 500,000 volts_ (on each battery).

_Comspec, Trojan, Abraxas, Vexa, Matura, E1ectr0n, and Kak Worm_ (on the USBs and Hard drives).

Some of the computer viruses she had heard of; others, not at all. She could only imagine how much damage they all did to processors. She also eyes the batteries that had the volt power of 10,000 and above. It only took a few of those batteries to power an entire building. How could Mau5 and Daft Punk handle so much energy alone?

"OKAY, MAU5. YOU EARNED THE FIRST HIT. WHICH WOULD YOU LIKE?" Thomas asked, lining up two of the cables in his hands.

Mau5's face was illuminating with eagerness. His head moved from side to side as he examined his choices of drugs.

"Mmmm~" He hummed, placing his fingertips together. "Lemme start with 50,000 volts… then I'll get a hit of Vexa."

A smiley icon appeared on both Thomas and Guy's faces. "OH REALLY? EXPECTING SOMETHING TONIGHT?" Thomas asked.

Mau5's eyes became fixed on Thomas, and his grin remained large. Both Thomas and Guy still had the smiley icon on their face. "I'm expecting many things to happen tonight~"

Raven looked from the rodent to the robots, very curious to know what they had in mind. She knew it had to be no good.

"ALRIGHT THEN, I THINK WE SHALL JOIN YOU AND TAKE THE SAME HITS." Guy said. He then picked up the 50,000 volt battery and handed it to Mau5. The mouse DJ looped his tail around and the tip plugged into the battery's side.

"Ready~" Mau5 giggled.

Guy turned a knob and the battery hummed to life. Immediately, Mau5's eyes began to glow a bright white as he tipped his head back and his mouth opened wide.

"Ohhhhhh~" He laughed and jerked. The electricity made his limbs and ears flail and twitch at random. All of the fur on his head and tail stood straight up. "Feels…. Nice~"

Raven's eyes were swollen wide. She couldn't believe his whole body wasn't frying into a crisp. 50,000 volts. Fifty fucking thousand volts of electricity. And he was simply twitching, as if it was a mere tickle. Amazing.

After a few more seconds of absorbing the energy, Mau5 unplugged his tail and handed the battery back. "Heh.. ready for… whoa," He stopped for a second and stared at the ceiling, as if he saw something there. He then resumed back to the group. "Ready for some Vexa now~"

Thomas synced the hard drive labeled Vexa to a plug converter. He then handed it to Mau5 while Guy began to open Thomas's coat to reveal his cable outlet. "CAREFUL MAU5, DON'T LEAVE THAT ONE IN FOR TOO LONG."

Raven shuddered a bit. Some how, this was beginning to look like a really horrible sci-fi porno. The sexual puns were there, all right.

"FOR THE RECORD, RAVEN… NEVER TOUCH MAU5 WHEN HE IS PLUGGED INTO A SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY. YOU CAN GET SHOCKED."

"Wasn't planning on it…" Raven said softly. She could tell it was dangerous to touch from how much static was in his fur.

"Here you go, Raven," Marie said. In her hand, she held out two pills, both white with pink rings around the ends.

"Wot's this?" Raven asked, taking the pills from her.

"Pink Bentley," Marie said simply, smiling. She took two more pills out of a bottle and popped them in her mouth. "You'll see…"

Raven looked at the pills. Speed? Extacy? One way to find out… Raven took them dry and waited.

"Relax, it takes a while to kick in."

Raven nodded. She looked back up and Mau5 was synced to the hard drive now. The expression on his face was absolutely priceless. He had a mix of complete relaxation and stupidity.

"Ohhhhhh myyyy~" He slurred.

"You doing okay there, Mau5?" Marie asked.

Mau5 just hunched over slowly and stared up at Raven. "Oh Raven~ Heh.. I… you look… damn~"

Raven only chuckled from the lack of understanding. "Wot?"

"You look so… ready to be hammered."

Raven giggled nervously. "Wot the bloody hell you talking about?"

"OH, DON'T MIND HIM." Guy said. He busily helped hook Thomas up to the 50,000 volt battery. Guy turned it on and Thomas's visor began to light up different colors and patterns of static. He made strange sounds that sounded very computer based. Guy's helmet made the words 'LOL' appear on the front.

"Okay, Mau5, you've been exposed to the virus long enough.." Marie grabbed his large red tail and unplugged it from the hard drive. Mau5 began to lean backward and he fell flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, giggling. "Oh so much fun~ So, so much fun~ We're gonna have fun~"

"INDEED WE ARE." Guy said. Now Marie came up and turned the battery off. Thomas also slumped over and cocked his head to the side. His visor was still full of some static but a broken pixilated smiley face could be seen scrolling over his visor. Now Marie began to hook the Vexa virus up to Thomas while Guy plugged himself into the battery. _Passing around the drugs_, Raven thought.

Now Guy got his shock, and Thomas got his exposure to the Vexa virus.

Once Guy had enough, Marie turned to Raven, "Be a dear, and disconnect Thomas while I help Guy?"

Raven came over to Thomas who was trying to say something but he was full of too much bliss and corruption for the words to be heard clearly. She reached to pull the cable out of his chest when his cold silver hands closed around hers. She jumped and looked up into his buzzed face.

"…kktzRAVEN. Gtttthhhh…zz. YOU AREartttth."

Raven only stared, completely unsure what he was trying to say. Did it matter? If he was 'high' then would his words even make sense? Thomas then brought Raven into a big hug and squeezed her tight. He was making a sound like an electronic chuckle.

"….Uh.." Raven stared at Marie for help.

Marie only laughed. "Just push him off you. He's going be like that for a few minutes until his system begins to function with the virus in him."

Raven pushed herself from his grasp and yanked the cable firmly out of his chest. He, like Mau5, slumped all the way over and feel down on the floor, continuing to make his electronic giggles.

Raven shook her head at the sight of them. "They're like mindless fools.."

"Oh don't worry, you'll be like that in half an hour." Marie said, plugging Guy into the virus now.

"Fun.." Raven said. She meant for it to sound sarcastic but she didn't think Marie picked that up.

Mau5 then immediately jumped up from his daze on the floor. "Music~ We need to play some music to fit the mood~" He then scrambled off towards the giant black pyramid in the room.

First, he switched off the slow lights, then switched the club lights on, and then his music filled the room.

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

Raven grinned. Ghosts n stuff. Good choice. The lights were a dazzling combination of green, cyan and orange. With the mixture of the music, Raven could feel a strange tingle in the back of her head. She felt happy. Very happy, but still in control. She liked this a lot.

Marie finished up with Guy and he was now sprawled on the ground, giggling helplessly.

Marie must have started to feel the same feeling as Raven because she now giggled and her voice relaxed from sounding professional. "C'mon, let's dance!" She said cheerfully.

Raven smiled. Excitement and energy pulsed through her now.

"Yaaay~!" Dead Mau5 came bounding back to the group and began jumping around excitedly to his music.

Both Raven and Marie helped Guy and Thomas up who began to regain self-awareness.

The lights were like a spell and the drugs was the trap.

All five of them were moving to the beat, overwhelmingly happy and giddy. Raven couldn't quite stay connected to reality. She let herself go with the music and the pleasure.

"_It's been so long, I've been out of my body with you~"_ The deep and beautiful voice of the man called Rob Swire sung.

Pink Bentley…. It did so much to her now. She felt waves of desire. Happy bursts of energy firing in her veins. And then that familiar feeling… She was feeling aroused.

"_I feel alone, feel at home, feel like nothing is true~"_

The group was dancing and moving so closely together. They all felt it. The atmosphere was thick and heavy.

"_She took me to a place where my senses gave way~"_

Raven felt Mau5's hands slide around her torso as she continued to move to the music. He pulled her close as they all continued to dance.

"_Turning 'round, shutting down, like the people say~"_

The moment his fingers closed tightly around her body, she felt the volt of emotion serge through her. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened as she let out a sigh.

"_Climbing up, coming down, lemme give you some~"_

She felt Marie, Guy and Thomas all very close to her. She did not wish to open her eyes. She kept her attention on the feelings and the music swirling in her ears. Mau5's fingers then slipped between hers and he pulled her with him.

"_Take my hand, and let it come~ Let it come~ Let it come~"_

Her memory was hazy from that moment. The next thing she knew, her body was straddling Dead Mau5 on a large king sized mattress. They were striped from clothes. Cables were scattered everywhere around them. Behind her, Guy, Thomas and Marie were tangled together in the cables. Marie's lips were gliding across Guy's smooth helmet as his hands felt her breasts. Thomas was just behind Raven, his cold hands sliding up her back. Each one of them made their own sounds; All of them full of so much pleasure.

Mau5 eagerly then sat up and grabbed Raven's face in his hands. His furry lips pressed roughly against hers. The touch was exhilarating. Her whole body felt numb.

_Oh this felt so... wonderful._

She didn't feel like she was actually here. She felt like she was way above the clouds, in the night sky. Lights of bright blue were glowing all below her. Mau5's warm breath felt unreal against her face. His tongue in her mouth felt unreal. His face looked unreal. His eyes, now glowing brightly were so unreal.

Raven grinned and shut her eyes, as she felt pleasure flowing in and out of her body. Mau5 gripped her shoulders tightly as he thrust against her. Quicker… harder.

_Don't stop…. Don't stop… Oh god, don't __**stop.**_

Thomas was now caressing her neck and breasts with his cold metal fingers.

_When did this start happening? When did she return to the ground?_

Marie was now lying next to her, looking completely delighted. _Everything was changing so fast…_

She looked over at Raven and smiled. Raven made eye contact with her. Her face looked like it was surrounded by a halo of light; a perfect ring.

In a daze, Raven tried to reach out and grab the light. Marie only grinned wider, and took Raven's face in her hands. Marie leaned in and pressed her soft, wet lips against Raven's. This felt all natural. _Was it?_ She could hear Mau5's voice mumbling something. She could hear the strange electronic sounds coming from Guy and Thomas. The pleasure was still pulsing so strongly.

And then there was darkness….

Not an eerie, alone-feeling darkness… but a darkness that was calm and peaceful. She felt weightless. She felt... happy.

…

Raven regained self-awareness. Slowly, but surely.

She awoke in the arms of the giant rodent DJ again. This time, she was lying in his bed, and the brightly lights in his room were dimly lit now. Her head was pulsing heavily. She felt like she had been lying still for several days.

"Mau5…" Raven mumbled, struggling to lift her arms and push him off of her. "Please…. Move…."

Mau5 mumbled in his slumber. Then a huge grin crept up his face and he nuzzled closer to Raven.

Raven growled, starting to feel irritated, "Wake up!"

Mau5 slowly opened one, large eye and blinked up at her. "Ohhhh, Raven~" His voice lulled at her.

"Please… lemme up.." She demanded.

Mau5 slowly released her from his grasp and then stretched his arms above his head. His large mouth opened wide and he yawned deeply while he stretched.

"..Oh god…" Raven mumbled to herself, sitting up and on the corner of the bed.

Her memory was barely recalled, but she had a general idea of what happened a few hours before.

Mau5 then scooted closer and curled around Raven, his face glowing with delight. "So much fun~ Lil Raven, you were so pleased with me~"

Raven looked over at him, eyeing him with a cold glare.

"And ohhhh my, you made me feel so-"

"Alright, Alright, bloody hell…. I know… kinda wot happened, but I dun' want to hear about it.." Raven said, letting her head fall into her hands. She rubbed her face roughly as she contemplated what to do now.

Mau5 tilted his head as he stared at her. "Did… you not enjoy last night?"

Raven sighed looking back over at Mau5. His large eyes showed that he would be completely hurt if she were to complain about her poor choices.

"I'm.. sure I enjoyed it. Yeah, I remember feeling really happy and.."

"Please~?" Mau5 asked, eagerly. His tail coiled up in response to his question.

"…Sure, I was pleased. But now that I think about it, with all the drugs out of my system, I feel.. weirded out." She was thinking back on how Marie and Thomas were involved with her sexually.

Mau5 seemed to think on her words for a bit before his large, signature grin returned on his face. "Oh I see… Lil Raven, I think your in denial of enjoying being with me~"

Raven scowled. "Wot the bloody hell are you convincing yourself with?"

Mau5's tail only curled in delight as he gazed at her with much amusement. "You know, Raven~"

Raven continued to hold her sour expression on her face. She looked back at the ground. Then she looked at her bare legs.

"…Where are my clothes?"

"Hmm? Probably back in Guy and Thomas's room."

She felt kind of chilly being in only underwear. Some how, for this moment, she managed to get passed the fact that she was around Mau5 with no clothes, or even a bra. _Psssh.. why should she after last night?_

"Mau5, just becoz I know you will probably get your hopes up after this… Keep in mind, last night was a one time thing."

Mau5 didn't seem phased by her words at all. He only put his hands behind his head as he looked up at her. "We'll see about that…"

Raven looked away and at the door leading out of Mau5's room. His confidence made her sick. She then shuddered slightly. Maybe that was because she was afraid of him being right.


	18. Chapter 18

Still Searching. Hopeless. Getting Desperate.

He shook his head with much frustration, snorting loudly and flapping his long ears from side to side.

_Raven… where __**are**__ you?_

His small heart was beating fast. He hunched over, bringing his small hands close to his chest. His understanding was merely a ripple of thought processing. But he knew one thing… With out his human companion, he felt lost.

_**Grrrrl…**_The impatience was making him mad. He still felt panic trying to build up inside him; however, he still could keep it under control. Raven had helped him learn to control this better… but with her gone for so long… how could he possibly keep staying calm?

The moonlight just above the horizon poured down on the lake like milk. The bridge above it was so far up. He peeked his head over the edge to stare at the rippling waves. The evening was gone and it was the very early hours of the morning. No soul was out in the streets except for the lonely animal. His pale eyes then darted over to a very tall figure. He heard sounds from up above. Stretching his long powerful legs, he hopped closer over to the towering building. Up above, there was a white circular shape on all sides of it, with strange symbols on its border. The deep bellows were coming from inside it. But what was it? Why was it making that sound?

Then it stopped…

Suddenly…

_**Gong! … Gong! …. Gong! …**_

He blinked… It fell completely silent again.

Even though he was sure he was alone, now that the silence had be broken, he felt the instinct to hide. He needed to get out of the city limits, because there was this strange sense in his head that a human was going to appear. Grunting and cursing the noisy tower at the end of the bridge for disturbing his stealth, he quickly hopped away down the wide street into a narrow alleyway. Raven was clearly not in this area, but he still needed to look through the rest of the city. It was quite a big city… It might take several nights to seek out the entire place. He hoped he would be successful on his search… **very soon.**

…

The last bowl of ramen…

She devoured it quickly, and continued to sit at the table, staring at it intently. She wasn't actually looking at the ramen bowl, she didn't even care about how the kitchen still haunted the memory of her apartment. She was thinking elsewhere…

**This was it.**

Raven knew she and Dead Mau5 would be boarding a small, private plane this evening (along with the required escorts) and fly into London, England.

She was clenching her fists so tightly, her knuckles were going white. A mix of excitement and anxiety was rushing through her. She was so eager for her chance to get back home. London was not very far away from her little home of Essex. The question was… would she be able to run away? There were a few obstacles (that were not easy obstacles) to overcome before she would be home free. The main one that she questioned was would the security be tight? Even though there were only two bouncers supervising her and Mau5, there was no doubt that they would be watching her like hawks on this next tour. They were all aware that she was from England and that she didn't particularly like having to live with Mau5 and the robots. And then, of course, if she did manage to slip away, how long would it take for them to react and go after her? How skilled were they at pursuing? Would she be able to get away quick enough or would she need to hide and stay low before she could get home?

Another problem she considered was how determined was the system of governments to keep the info of the alien robots well hidden? Would they go as far as to kidnap her from her home to make sure she didn't spread the word of their existence? Would the English Parliament tolerate such a violation, or are they in on this agreement to keep the robots' existence undercover?

It made her sick to ponder on it…

She softly laid her head down on the table, sighing.

_Is he going to hold you back…?_

Raven immediately sat up and grumbled. "Bollocks…" Yes, she had considered what Mau5's reaction would be when he found out she was gone. It was not a good thought.

Rage. Insanity perhaps?

She pictured him thrashing about angrily, blinded by hurt and confusion. The reaction might almost be as bad as when her Kangaroo friend, Psycho was on one of his fits. If Mau5 got upset enough... would he be just as violent…?

Raven shuddered. _Oi, once you are gone, it won't be your problem anymore. Daft Punk can deal with him… I don't want anything to do with that bloody rat anymore._

She bit down on her lower lip. _Yes, I don't want deal with him. He's nothing but trouble._ Part of her resisted this thought though…

_He just wants a friend… a close companion. He's lonely. He doesn't understand…_

"Uhhhh! Fuck it all…." Raven complained, covering her arms over her head, which was hurting from the mixed emotions.

"..D..Damnit, Mau5."

Raven snapped back to reality when she heard a rather strange sound. It…. Seemed to be like the noise a child made when humming and wiggling their tongue out in front of you.

Raven jumped with surprise when she first heard it. That was the last thing she expected to hear.

"You call~?"

Mau5 came strolling into the kitchen. His face was glowing with pride and his walk was full of confidence.

"Wot… was…"

Mau5 giggled. "Oh? You mean this?" He stuck his tongue out and made that same noise again. He made the face exactly how she pictured a kid would.

Raven frowned, finding this new noise of his very irritating.

Mau5's grin only grew bigger. "I heard you say my name~"

Raven's face softened to a casual expression, something to not encourage this annoying burst of confidence (and the rather stupid sound effects). "No… Just thinking."

Mau5's wide grin remained fixed on his furry, red face as he waltzed over to the fridge. He pulled out a carrot and began gnawing down on it.

Raven watched quietly, with an eyebrow raised. Mouth full of carrot, he said, "So lil' Raven, ready for another wonderful tour?"

"Yup." She replied simply.

"Ohhh~ I bet its gonna be even better than the first one. Hehehehe~"

Raven rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking and placed her palm under her chin.

"…You okay, Raven?"

"I'm super awesome, Mau5."

Mau5 plopped himself down in the chair next to her and stared, still nibbling on his carrot. "You don't look okay. You look upset."

"Nu-uh, I'm good." Raven blinked her eyes heavily at him.

He paused on his food, and made a blank expression at her. His eyes were perfectly rounded and his mouth became a solid line across his face. Raven continued to blink up at him, not sure why he was staring.

"Hmmm… I'm reading that you have some angry confliction going on in your head." Mau5 said, cocking a head and resuming to his carrot.

_Shit, forgot about that weird ability he had to read people. How the bloody hell did that even work?_

"Everyone gets those every once in a while…" Raven said, trying to relax herself and keep him from reading her thoughts.

Mau5's head sunk a bit and he continued to stare with his large, white eyes. "Okay Raven, if you say so~ You'll be cheery for the next show, right?"

"Oh yeah, definitely." Raven said, tossing a fake, half-second smile.

"Good~" Mau5 said standing up after popping the rest of his vegetable treat in his mouth. "Before we go, Thomas and Guy want to do one more brain tweak on me." Mau5 tapped the side of his large, circular head.

"Alright…"

"Have you noticed a difference? Have I gotten better~?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, actually. You seem more formal."

"Yay~" Mau5 beamed, giggling to himself. "I'm becoming more human~"

He then wandered out of the kitchen and down the hall. Raven stared after him and chuckled. _Sorry Mau5, but with a tail and a head like that, …you'll never be human._

…

With a rhythm in his step and a light skip to every third stride, Mau5 hummed down the glowing blue hall to the workshop.

Oh, did he feel confident. Everything was going so well and just as planned.

"Raven is my lil dancer~" He chuckled. "Last night was soooo wonderful~ Raven will soon realize that she likes it here, likes it with me. Oh yesss, and we will make music and entertainment for the world~ And all the humans will feel happy because of us~!"

He was so delighted. He loved this feeling that was bubbling up inside him. Is this what Marie meant when you get 'butterflies in your stomach?'

"I don't even know what butterflies are, but they feel funny~ I like it." His large smile had stretched completely over half of his face.

"Soon, Thomas and Guy's experimenting will be over… then they will work on making me a new face. And I…" He shuddered with delight. "I'll be human~!"

He danced all the way into the workshop, where Guy and Thomas were waiting for him.

Guy looked up and a smiley icon flashed on his face. "OH JUST ON TIME, MAU5. READY FOR ANOTHER SESSION?"

Mau5 gave a soft grumble but nodded. "Yes, I am… even though it doesn't feel so pleasant."

He lifted his hands above his head and pulled his baggy shirt up. He struggled a bit, but he managed to pull it off his massive head. Then, tossing his shirt to the ground, he flopped down on the stretcher once more, placing his chin down on his arms in front of him.

"ALRIGHT MAU5. I'M GOING TO OPEN YOUR MEMORY PLATE." Thomas said, coming towards his spine with the tweezers.

Mau5 twitched more once the tweezers made contact with the metal plate. Mau5 closed his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the irritation of the nerves firing in his back.

_Raven didn't look happy. She was stressing over something._ Mau5's large eyes slowly opened again and a small, sheepish smile tickled his cheeks.

_Perhaps… maybe she was conflicted on how she enjoyed last night… That maybe she didn't want to enjoy it, but she really did~ Maybe she really does like living here…_

Mau5 softly chuckled to himself, closing his eyes again, and waited to be knocked out for another tweak in his mind.


	19. Chapter 19

(AN: I recommend listening to this song in the chapter before you read: Can't Be Sure by The Sundays)

"_Give me a __**story**__ and give me a __**bed**__~ Give me __**possessions**__~ Oh, love, luck and money they go to my head like~ __**WILDFIRE**__~!"_

Raven sat, buckled in her seat. Her heart was hammering so violently in her chest, she felt like it was going to shake free from her rip cage. As she stared out the window, she saw the city of Paris grow smaller and smaller as the jet ascended higher in the night sky.

There was this music playing softly on overhead speakers. Raven had never heard it before… she didn't mind it, actually.

Mau5 sat across from her, also staring out the window with much bewilderment. He had obviously not flown in a plane before.

"This is… WHOA~ Just like flying."

"Mau5… we are flying. In a vessel."

"It's so coooool~" Mau5's grin had return to that naïve smile she remembered seeing when he first tried human food.

Raven chuckled at Mau5.

It was only going to take a few hours to get into London. It was probably going to be in the early hours of next day when they landed. Then they had the whole day to rest before the show in the next evening. Raven wondered to herself… should she make a run for it before the show? When everyone least expects it? Or wait until after the show, when everyone is tired and less alert.

It was a hard decision.

"_It's good to have __**something**__ to live for, you'll find… live for __**tomorrow**__~ Live for a job and a perfect behind, __**HIGH TIME**__~!"_

She tipped her head back and started to listen to the music in the plane. She tried not to think too much on this escape issue, since it was making her nerves go crazy.

_What if I can't do it…?_

Raven felt her hands grip the armrest of her seat tightly. She couldn't help it… The question was repeating itself constantly in her head.

Her eyes fluttered to the floor, trying to avoid looking upon the mouse DJ across from her.

Still her mind felt crossed and stumped. Part of her was screaming:

'_You have to make a run for it! Don't be crazy! He took advantage over you, he raped you, he __**enslaved**__ you! Run! You have to run!'_

And the other part of her was rationalizing, sympathizing:

'_Yes, he did wrong, but he admitted it! Deep down, he really cares, and he didn't mean to be so ruthless. He's lonely… you know what that is like; being alone. And you know what its like for a creature, such as himself to be outcaste and different than everyone else.'_

Psycho… He really wasn't much different than Psycho.

Raven continued to stare at the floor, her eyes sharply intense from concentration.

Avoiding eye contact didn't help… because, low and behold, Mau5 said: "Raven? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Mau5."

"You still look upset…"

"Trust me, I'm fine." This time she looked him in the eyes to try and ensure him. His face was blank again.

"_**England**__, my country, the home of the free~ Such miserable weather~ …But England is as __**happy**__ as England can be~ __**WHY CRY**__~?"_

Raven looked up at the speakers above. She snorted at the song playing… It's lyrics were making her a bit irritated now.

_**Yes**__, England is my country. __**Yes**__, it is a happy place. I'm crying because I am no longer there… in my place._

Mau5 had read too much of her thoughts. He stood up and sat down in the seat next to her.

"Raven…"

"Wot?" Raven said, biting her lower lip.

"You're not happy… you're upset about something…"

Raven closed her eyes, sighing. "I'm nervous."

Mau5's head jerked up in surprise. "Nervous? Oh, that's nonsense, lil Raven~ There is not way you're still nervous… Not after already performing three times…"

"I am though."

"Why?"

She shrugged. It was all absolute rubbish, and she knew it. But if it kept him from pestering her, she'd go with it.

Suddenly, large fingers closed around her jaw line and her face was turned up to Mau5.

"Raven, you said you promised to not be sad when we get there and perform."

Raven shook her head free from his grasp, leering at him just a bit. "Yes, and I plan to keep that promise."

"_And did you know that__** desire**__ is a terrible thing~ The worst that I can __**find**__~ And did you know that __**desire's**__ a terrible thing~ But I… rely… on __**mine~**__ ..__**AaaaAAH**__~!"_

Daniel walked into the private cabin. Raven glanced over at him. He nodded to them both and then exited into the pilot's cabin, where he would meet up with James.

"Raven~ why don't we practice together once we've had some rest?"

"You mean dancing? After we've landed?"

Mau5 nodded, grinning again.

"Uh… sure I suppose. I mean, don't you have to practice your music or something?"

"Nope~ I've got it all figured out. Besides, you'll feel better about the show if you practice some more…"

Raven mumbled sourly, nodding her head.

"_**England**__, my country, the home of the free~ Such miserable weather~ …But England is as __**happy**__ as England can be~ __**WHY CRY**__~?"_

There was a bitter guilt bubbling in her stomach. She felt this decision now had no good outcome, regardless of what she chose to do.

_You have to do this… you're not happy living like this. You __**can't **__live with him._

Her lower lip quivered a bit. **No**. Don't show any weakness.

_I want to be __**home.**__ But I don't want him to… to..._

"Raven~ What do you think we will-"

"Shh!" Raven silenced him.

Mau5 turned to look at her again, cocking his head to the side. She still had her eyes closed, as if deep in thought.

"Listen. No more talking, just listen to the music."

Mau5 turned his head up, his large, circular ears moving forward as he listened.

"_Did you know that__** desire**__ is a terrible thing~ It makes the world __**go blind**__~ But if __**desire **__is such a terrible thing__ You never really don't mind~!"_

Mau5 blinked at the speakers above, frowning just a bit. "Why is it that human's music can sound so sad? This… it sounds sad and happy at the same time~"

Raven's head sunk down and rested on Mau5's shoulder. Her eyes remained tightly shut. She was completely silent, as she absorbed the emotions that the female singer expressed in her song.

Mau5 began to pick up on this mood. He looked down at Raven, closing his mouth and daring to not speak another word. A small sense of worry was beginning to build in the back of his mind. The silence, he knew however, must not be disturbed.

_Why was there anything to worry about?_ He didn't know…

"And it's **my life**~ And it's **my life**~ And though I can't be sure what I want anymore~ It will come to me later~"

Mau5 rested his chin down on top of Raven's head, taking in a deep breath. He did not like this sudden atmosphere that had crept in under his nose. But he knew he had to respect Raven's wish and be quiet, and listen to the happy, sad song. His tail flicked impatiently, the curiosity building inside of him. Though this feeling was unpleasant, he did like Raven being here… so close.

Raven no longer wanted to hold it completely in… so she let it leak out… just a bit… she let one small tear trickle down her cheek. She knew she would get through this; … it was just going to feel horrible for now. The guilt will go away… eventually.

"_And it's my life…_

_And it's my life…._

_And though… I can't be sure… what I want anymore… it will come to me later..."_

…

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump!_

_Thump-kkkkkkzzztaa-Thump!_

The bass pulsed heavily in the small, enclosed room. It was so loud and intense.

Raven's heart was beginning to beat in sync with it. Her head bobbed slightly as she felt her feet itching to move.

"Which song is this again?" she asked.

"Brazil~ The second version."

"Wot happened to the first one?"

"I just didn't like it… well, didn't feel like it was good enough. So I tweaked it around~" Mau5 said, smiling smugly. He was quite proud of his work.

She didn't blame him. Many could argue his music was way to simple and repetitive. But that is what made it work; the simplicity captured the listener in a trance and the repetition kept them moving, flowing… and dancing.

Mau5 turned to Raven, holding out his hand. "Dance with me, Raven~ Don't worry about trying to look professional… just dance what you feel."

Raven tried to hide her frown. _What I feel? _What she felt wasn't exactly a good emotion. But she would hide it… bollocks and all.

"Alright, fine, Mau5. But you will have to follow my lead."

"Of course~" He grinned at her.

The music started with small pulse of sounds, as Raven and Mau5 began to move about the small hotel room they were staying in.

Jumping, thrusting, shifting, stomping…

Raven and Mau5 moved in sync, side by side, as the second edit of Brazil began to build. They twisted their hips, their feet beat the floor over and over, and their hands moved about in the air.

The music was building into captivating symphony of synths and glitchy sounds. Then it dropped.

Raven and Mau5's dancing became light. They tip-toed about, swaying with the waves of rhythm. Raven gasped as she let her body guide her. There was definitely **something** in the music pattern that was triggering her brain to feel relaxed. She could feel the rush of blood throughout her entire body warming her arms, legs and even her fingers. The light tip-toeing beats began to slowly build up. Raven smiled. With one look, she nodded to Mau5. Their thoughts connected and were on the same wavelength. As the music began to grow, their movements became stronger and more dramatic.

"Okay, Mau5. See how we are making this pattern with one… two… skip-jump-three?" Raven pointed out.

"Yes~"

"Okay, a beat immediately after every other 'three', I want you to hunch over and make your back straight."

"Hm?" Mau5 seemed confused, but curious all the same.

"You'll see…" As the music continued to grow, Raven waited a few more pattern cycles.

"Okay… now!"

After Mau5's feet touched flat on the ground from his jump, he leaned forward, making his back as parallel as possible with the floor. At the same moment, Raven took a side step towards him, leaning sideways and touching her right shoulder to his left. Then with a swooping kick, she pulled herself into a roll over his back. Her left shoulder now touched his right and her feet landed her perfectly next to Mau5 on the next beat of 'one'.

Raven grinned. "Perfect."

Mau5's grin was even larger. "Oh~ that was wonderful. Fit well with the song~"

Both of them continued to stay in sync with their pattern and staying in time to the music.

"I've always wanted to try that trick…" Raven paused as the next roll came in. She flipped around on Mau5's back and then danced her way back around in front of him to his left. "But I needed a dance partner in order to do it."

"I have an idea, lil Raven~"

"Hm?" Raven asked, watching their feet move.

"Let's keep that rolling trick to every other third beat, but instead of you…" He paused so that they could perform another roll, "doing the next one, why don't I try rolling on your back?"

"Uh, sure why not?" Raven nodded, liking the back-and-forth idea.

"Think you're strong enough to hold me up?"

"So long as you don't stall and roll over quickly, I should be fine."

The two of them lined up again. This time, after they skipped and kicked, Raven leaned forward and Mau5 leaned against Raven's left shoulder, kicking his body over her. Raven grinned, proud to see Mau5 was picking up the dance pattern very quickly. Suddenly, Mau5's red tail batted Raven in the face once his feet landed down next to her. "Ah, watch your tail!" Raven sputtered, swatting it away from her. Mau5 only chuckled as he danced around her and back to her left. "Sorry~"

The music began to become heavier and much more vibrant. Mau5 turned to Raven, nodding. "Take it away~ I'll observe from here."

Mau5 danced off to the side and leaned against the wall. Raven waited for him to be clear before she began to spin. Then she dropped down on her hands and began to twist and flex her legs around in the air. She used just the palms of her hands, the sides of her fore arms, and the lining of her shoulders as support, as her legs flung around in circles and her core bent and rotated to the rhythm. _Moments like this, _she thought. _This is wot I really live for._

Just as Raven really began to get in the movement of the song, the door to their room opened and James walked in. Raven immediately jumped back up and stopped dancing. Mau5 quickly turned to the stereo system they had set up on the nightstand and paused the music. Both he and Raven stared at James with large eyes. James only chuckled and shrugged. "What're you guys doing?"

"Dancing~" Mau5 said delightedly. "Well~ having fun, more than actually practicing."

"That's cool, that's cool… well I just wanted to remind you, we only have little over an hour before the show starts. So you might wanna eat and get ready."

"Thanks, James. Guess we lost track of time." Raven replied.

James shook his head, waving his hand. "No problem, that's what I'm here for. I'll let you two kids get dressed and I'll meet you in the hall with Daniel so we can grab a bite to eat on our way out." James closed the door behind him.

Mau5 turned to Raven, motioning to the bathroom, "You may change first~"

Raven smirked. "Alright, thanks." She went over to the suitcase that was packed for her in the corner of the room. As she fished around for all the pieces of her raver costume, she looked over her shoulder at Mau5. "Hey… curious question I thought of when James called us 'kids'… How old are you technically, Mau5?"

Mau5 slightly cocked his head as he answered, "Depends on what you're considering… My age in mice years is like… 102? But in human years, I'm only 5."

Raven raised an eyebrow. _Bloody hell… he really __**is**__ a little kid…_ "So… how are you so… older lookin'?"

"The mix between the mouse genetics and the human genetics. My body's aging process is that of a male human, but at the aging speed of a mouse," He opened his suit case, and pulled up his tux suit on a hanger. He looked it over as he continued to explain: "I grew up a lot quicker than you probably did. But I'm going to stay like this for a good 70 years before I become technically old…"

Raven nodded slowly. It made sense, but how Daft Punk managed to get that to work still amazed her. She didn't think how it could be physically possible for a living being to have a mix of two completely different species' genetics.

Raven finished grabbing all of her stuff and shuffled into the bathroom. With the door closed, she dropped her pile of clothes on the top seat of the toilet, and picked up her black and white mask. She pulled it tightly over her head, and peered at herself through the fabric and into the mirror.

_Time to do this. It was __**time.**_


	20. Chapter 20

"London, London! Are you ready to party?"

A loud roar of shouts and screams boomed in the stage hall.

"Tonight we have a very interesting guest tonight. All the way from Canada, may we present… Dead Mau5!"

More screams followed. The hungry crowd didn't know who exactly they were screaming for, but at this point, they didn't care. The majority of the lot were eighteen year-olds to twenty-five year-olds. They were just **dying** for entertainment of some sort.

Out merged the rodent DJ himself, throwing his hands in the air for his audience. Raven stepped out right behind him. Part of her felt the urge to hide herself as much as possible, in case a friend of hers was out in that crowd (because after all, London was just a drive away from Essex). Perhaps Alesia was out there? Probably not with Raven missing… It wouldn't really matter, because who would recognize her in this mask and wig?

"Hiiii, friends~" Mau5 shouted, his face glowing with glee.

The young people in the front began to hysterically jump up and down, clawing at the stage. They were desperate to touch either Mau5 or Raven with their greedy hands. _Just like Paris_, Raven thought. She expected better from her home country. Was Essex the only city that seemed to be civil when Dead Mau5 came through?

Raven felt Mau5's presence loom over her. He whispered in ear just loud enough for her to hear: "Gonna start with Cthulhu Steps as the opening… And that's the short version. Okay~?"

Raven nodded over her shoulder. Mau5's grin became visible in the dark; the inside of his mouth was gleaming a slight cyan color. _Someone was a bit happy_, she thought, chuckling to herself.

Mau5 then turned and slinked behind the giant syncboard on stage. The crowd was shouting so many different things, it was slurring into loud noise. She could pick out things like "bloody hell," "the fock is that?" and "mouse face", but most of it was all gibberish.

Suddenly, the sound of electronic whips and syncs began to flood the speaker system above. Immediately afterward, the bright lights around the stage sparked to life and the colors of green and blue lit up the entire room. That rubbish of noise quickly melted into cheering and more excitement.

"Watch out!" Mau5 shouted in his mic, "You'll awaken Cthulhu~"

Only Raven understood his comment, but the crowd just shouted at him in confusion. It didn't, however take long for the crowd to start jumping, spinning and dancing. Raven started with a simple swing, moving just her hips, core, arms and head from side to side. She was going to avoid using up too much energy for this show… she's need it for later.

"**Move**, friends… **move**~!" Mau5 shouted, as he whipped the syncs up a notch.

_You aren't referring to me, are you?_

The crowd was jumping and dancing with so much **aggression**. The were making the stage tremble. He had to be talking to Raven.

"**Feel** me~ Move~"

Raven stepped it up a bit, adding some more stomps and dramatic swings. But she kept the jumping to a minimum.

Cthulhu Steps continued to play on, hypnotizing everyone in the giant room. They started off jumping all over the place, but after two minutes in, there was a swaying wave that pulsed through the audience as they moved to the music. It almost hypnotized Raven to mimic them, but she stayed strong and kept with her independent dance.

_**Lights.**__ Off. __**Lights.**__ Off._

_Thump-whip-kraz-thump-whip-kraz-thump!_

And on and on, the show will go… where it stops…

Only the Mau5 will know.

…

"What happened, Raven~?" There was a small hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Wot do you mean?"

"When we were practicing, you were much more… _lively_… but then out on the stage," he paused, fumbling with his own fingers, "you were hardly into it…" Mau5's ears drooped in disappointment. "Are you still nervous?"

"Only a'lil," Raven replied.

"Do you… think you need more of my mix? I brought some again just in case…"

Raven shook her head, trying to hide the disgust on her face. "I was more trying to save energy so that I don't feel sick from exhaustion by the end of the show…"

Mau5 gave a skeptical look, with his mouth in that formation of a perfect, straight line. "But lil Raven~" he said with a slight pout. "You dance so well… I'd like you to give it your all… so the crowd can really feel the music. Seeing you will inspire them to take in the joy of the music more."

Raven sighed, nodding. She got his point… kind of. She didn't really even have time to argue on this for long; they were only give a 15 minute break before they needed to return to the stage and finish the show.

"Okay, okay, Mau5… sorry. I'll give the second half a lot more energy."

That returned Mau5's expression back to his idiotic smile. "Thank you, Raven~ Let us give London a wonderful finale~"

…

11:14 PM, GMT

London's late evening was still staying active, even after Dead Mau5's performance. Mau5 was busily packing equipment with James and three technicians that worked in the studio.

Raven was sitting in a pull out chair on the side of the large room. Her anxiety was crawling under her flesh. **She… couldn't… get away.**

She was just about to slink away, when Daniel, the huge bouncer/body guard, planted himself in the seat next to her. He began to bring up some friendly gab, some small talk, and he was **really good** at keeping a conversation going. He had her pinned. She couldn't get up and leave. _He was definitely doing this on purpose, the large bastard…_ He was on to her.

As he continued to ask small basic questions here and there, Raven watched Mau5 and the others pack cables, devices of various types, the sync boards and the speakers in padded carrying bags. An idea struck her…

"Bloody hell…" she murmured, leaning over slightly.

"Something wrong?" Daniel asked.

"Don't feel too well… Is there a loo I can run to real fast here?" Raven hoped he wouldn't follow, seeing as it was polite to give a lady privacy.

"A… what?" Daniel asked.

Raven rolled her eyes. _Oh yeah… Americans._

"You know… toilet? Uh, bathroom is wot they are sometimes called?"

Daniel's eyes lit up with enlightenment. "Oh of course. I believe I saw one just down the hall. I can't guarantee its very clean, though."

"That's fine," Raven grumbled. She stood up slowly and lingered across the room towards the hallway that Daniel had pointed to.

_Don't follow… Don't follow…_

Just as she turned the corner in the hall, she caught Daniel walking casually after her in the corner of her eye.

_**FUCK!**_ Her mind screamed. So much for that plan…

She continued down the hall in a slow stroll until she came across the bathroom. She opened the door. It was a single loo, as she predicited. Closing the door behind her and locking it, her glance fell upon the window above. Her eyes lit up immediately.

The plan worked out anyway. Through the window it is.

Carefully climbing up on the toilet seat, Raven reached for the window's locks on both sides. She eased them open slowly, trying to avoid any noise in case Daniel was standing just outside the door. Once the clamps snapped open, she took both her index and middle fingers, and inced the window up and open. The openning looked just wide enough to slip through. The difficult part was doing it with out making **any** noise. With a quick hoist, she lifted her body up and swung one leg through the window. She paused to get a firmer grip on the frame so she wouldn't fall back. She then fed her other leg through the openning. Now she sat on the window seal on, with her body still on the inside of the building. She peeked over the edge to see how high up the ground was. _Oh hell… _It looked to be a good six to seven feet. She glanced back at the door one last time before she ducked down and slipped through the window. Her feet landed hard on the pavement, bringing a jolting sting up through her leg's nerves. She didn't let this stall her; she quickly went into a sprint around the building to the left, seeing at first sight, there was a high, barbed fence on this side of the building's parking lot.

_Gotta move quick… need to get some distance away from here…_

She ran around on the left side, looking for an openning in the fence. Taking another sharp turn around the corner, she saw a gate and a good alley way to hide in. The gate was just barely open, as if someone made a very small attempt to close it but not lock it. A grin stretched across her face.

_Bloody freedom. I can taste it __**at last.**_

Her feet guided her across the parking lot and through the open gate. She jumped over a small ditch, and ran for the small narrow street that lie ahead. Her heart jumped in shock when a small car blarred its horn at her as it sped around the narrow street.

_Shhhhit._ Raven recovered from her surprise and quickly crossed the street. She entered into the shadowy safety of the alley way.

…

Just as Mau5 saw Raven and Daniel leave the room, he felt a sudden and most horrible feeling hit the bottom of his gut. Something seemed wrong. After a minute had passed, he turned to James, "Can you take care of the rest of this? I need to go talk to Daniel.."

James looked up at him with slight irriation, but nodded. "Yeah sure, run off. We'll finish the labor work."

Mau5 frowned, lowering his head. "Sorry~" He then scampered down off the stage and went through the hallway. He turned a corner and saw Daniel leaning up against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and his gaze fixed on the floor in front of him.

"Daniel~? Where is Raven?"

"She's in the bathroom." He said jerking a thumb to the door in front of him.

Mau5 looked at the door with large, rounded eyes, becoming very silent.

"Everything alright, Mau5?"

Mau5 nodded. "Yes, I'll be right back."

Daniel merely shrugged as Mau5 turned back around. There was a tremble in his tail next to his leg, which was still tucked and hidden down in his baggy slack pants. His instincts were firing like mad. Why did he get the feeling that Raven…? He made a dash down another hall towards the back exit of the building. With much force, he slammed it opened. He paused as he looked around, then ran off around the side. In his head, he was estimating where that bathroom would be on the outside. He turned another left corner and his heart nearly skipped a beat. Right where he was almost certain the bathroom space was, he saw a single window which was wide open. A small girl could have easily fit through it.

_Raven!_ Mau5's eyes became wide as ever. He then ran towards the front of the building. Once he saw the gated fance standing wide open to the world, he felt a much stronger trembling pulse overcome his entire body. His jaw twitched and his lips curled back over his large teeth.

Raven… why…

He hesitated no more; he took off toward a dark alleyway across the street. He didn't care about other humans seeing him up close… there was only one motive angerly repeating in the back of his mind. It was consuming him.

_**Find. Pursue.**_

_**Find. Pursue.**_

_**Find! Pursue!**_

…

The dark alley had a very frightening aura. Raven stumbled through it, practically blind. There were puddles in the middle of the walkway to avoid, and large, metal dumpsters to dance around. She still struggled to keep on running, but she was very exhausted. Dancing at a rave show does take its toll...

She wasn't sure how long this alley way went. It seemed to go on forever. She hoped that it would eventually open up into a bigger street. She was desperate for a landmark or something that she recognized so that she could find the underground system. If I can get there... I'll be home free. It's almost impossible to catch someone riding the underground.

She had only visited London a few times. But she was almost certain she could remember the route to get to the very east of the county. Then from there, she'd need to find either a taxi, or a police station to help her get all the way home.

"C'mon.. c'mon... where are you underground?" She panted under her breath, her eyes darting through the alley. She looked for the bright red and white sign with the blue stripe through it. But it was nowhere to be seen. Just a dark, gloomy alleyway.

The alley curved again to the left. Once it straightened out, Raven could see more lights. Perhaps a bigger street? Or even better, an intersection? An intersection would definitely help her figure out her location better. She heard voices of people in the streets. Just a few more meters away...

A signed with a black arrow pointing to the left caught her eye. There it was! The first sign of the subway. It must be close!

Her feet moved a bit quicker. Almost there!

Suddenly, she felt a constricting object tighten around her right leg. Gasping and placing her hands out in front of her, she braced herself as she fell forward. She skipped a bit on the cold stone ground.

Her first thought was clumsy me... But then she looked around and looming above her, a pair of blazing red eyes glared down at her.

Her heart stopped. "..Wot.. who?"

"Raven!" Out of the shadows, a familiar rodent face loomed down to her level. She gasped in absolute horror.

Mau5 looked upon her with a glare she had never seen before. His eyes were burning with rage. They literally glowed a hot red. His whole mouth was gaping open and it quivered with the anger he felt. She noticed a slight difference in his appearance. She couldn't tell if it was the dark lighting... or something actually happened to him to make him look... black! His brilliant red fur seemed to have faded to a dull black, which intensified his bright eyes with his surroundings.

Raven tried to speak... but the very image of the friendly, happy-go-lucky mouse DJ she thought she knew, now looming over her with such hostility, struck her with fear. She managed to speak one word.. "M.. Mau5?"

His eyes widened and he scooped her up in his arms. She screamed aloud from his sudden reaction. In that instance, he quickly darted back down the alleyway, far from the open streets. Someone could have heard her scream...

"Mau5!" She shouted. More fear was swimming through her entire body. Not only did he not respond to his name, but he was taking her back... she was losing all chances of freedom. "Mau5!" She shouted again.

He did not answer. He only held her tight over his shoulder and sprinted quickly on silent feet back to the entertainment building.

Raven struggled and squirmed, trying to break free from his grip. No! I must get away! "Put me down!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs. Her voice went echoing down the wet, narrow alleyway. Someone had to have heard her cries. Surely someone would come and try to find out who needed help. But would they be able to help in time...?

Mau5 emerged out of the alleyway and darted across the street. Raven flailed and even began to bite and scratch any part of Mau5 that she could reach. She was so desperate at this point. It was almost too late... No matter how much she struggled and nipped him with her nails or teeth, he would not let go. Quickly, he slipped through the gate and only paused to whip it shut with his tail. Then he walked the rest of the way back to the building. Raven still struggled, still cried, still scratched and bit and kicked and beat with her fists. It was too late. But she had become hysterical now. She wasn't going home... forever, for all she knew.

...

He was very harsh with handling her. He practically threw her to the ground. Inside a small room, he locked himself and Raven inside.

Raven grunted in pain as she landed on the hard floor. Quickly she looked up at her captor, and backed away on her hands and butt. She was trembling in fear. From the looks of it, this new Mau5 still looked to be very hostile and angry.

"Raven... why were you trying to run away?" Even his voice sounded on edge.

Raven's mouth gaped open but she could not find any words or even any sound.

Mau5's ears curled back and his tail swished impatiently. Then he began to pace back in forth, cursing something under his breath.

Raven watched him, captivated by what she was seeing. He had completely changed. It's like a different personality. A different person; that was brought out from inside of him. His fur still looked to be a sleek grayish black, and his eyes were still gleaming a bright red.

"Why... why would you... DO THIS!" He immediately yelled. Raven jumped. A sudden realization came over her. She was locked in here with him. He appeared to becoming unstable... and it was very possible that he was going to be as unstable as Psycho. She was in trouble...

"M.. Mau5... please... let me explain something." Raven said softly.

Immediately, Mau5 whipped his head around and leered down upon her. Raven froze up. Perhaps reasoning with him wasn't the best idea...

"Mau5? Is that you in there?" It was James. James was knocking on the door and trying to open it.

Mau5 closed his eyes and took in a quivering breath. His ears curled back even farther. She could see he was trying to keep control of himself... but he couldn't. It was his emotions... they were winning him over.

"Mau5, open the door! Raven... are you in there?"

She didn't know if she should answer. She glanced at Mau5 first, who's eyes were still clamped shut. "Y..Yes." Raven croaked.

"Raven, what's going on? Are you okay?"

Mau5's tail was beginning to swish back in forth quickly. His hands were clenched together so tightly that they were shaking.

Raven hesitated, panting with anxiety. "It... it's Mau5." She paused, when his eyes flared back open. He did not move; he only glared at with such intent.

It was a gamble, she thought. He was testing her to see if she dared to speak anymore. She bit her lower lip tightly.

"What's going on? What has happened to Mau5?"

She thought she saw his red eyes narrow. She knew that look; the look of no control... She swallowed a lump in her throat. That was the same look Psycho gets... It was too late... he was going to snap either way. "He's gone mad!" She shouted quickly, jumping to her feet.

In that instant, Mau5 lunged at her, his jaws opened wide as if he was going to sink them into her body. She shrieked and jumped back, barely missing his large bite.

Immediately she could hear two voices yelling frantically behind the door, and trying to get it open. Mau5 continued to pursue her. Raven ran and dodged as much as she could, even kicking him back with her legs if necessary. She continued to shout and scream whenever he came close to grabbing her again. Once she was up against the wall, he dove at her again, grabbing a hold of her arms and body, and pinning her to the wall. She shrieked loudly, kicked and flailed. He struggled to hold her still. "Stop... squirming!" He demanded. He pulled on of her arms quickly towards him and in an awkward angle. "Ahhh!" She screamed, tears coming to her eyes. "Stop! Mau5 stop!" She bleated.

The door to the room came crashing down, as Daniel rammed it over. Immediately both James and Daniel ran towards Mau5 and grabbed ahold of him, pulling him off of Raven. Raven sank down to the floor, holding her arm. It throbbed painfully. He had almost pulled it out of the socket. She looked back up to see Mau5 looking down at her. His gaze had softened again. He looked at her with pain now as Daniel and James dragged him away and out the door.

Raven continued to sit there, holding her arm close to her body. She bent her head down and began to weep.


	21. Chapter 21

_Stupid… stupid, stupid, stupid!_

He sat, hunched over in a chair, his eyes sore and his fingers fidgeting frantically.

He **never** had such a bad break out like that. _But Raven…? How could she do that? How could she try to run away? Wasn't she happy?_

He put his hands over his head, gripping it tightly as he pulled his face down. _She hurt me… but I… I hurt her ever more._ His tail was shivering uncontrollably as he sniffled and squeaked. The break out was trying to come out again. It was all because of this… **heartache**.

_Raven… why would you want to leave…?_ But he knew why… He let out a shrieking cry as he withdrew his body tightly into a ball. He knew exactly why she wanted to leave. He gripped his legs harshly to the rest of his body, as if physically trying to hold this break out in.

_You are not human. You are a freak._

"Raven… graaahhh… Raven!"

Dead Mau5, the rodent DJ continued to try and hold himself sane.

…

Raven sat in the empty stage room next to James. She had calmed down but her eyes were still puffy and red from the sudden fright. Daniel sat next to them both, talking frantically with Thomas on a cell phone.

"Yes, I realize that. And- No, no, we did not let her out of our sight… … I told you, she escaped out the window to the bathroom… … No… No, he's not… He's contained, don't worry… I'm sorry, no… we haven't been able to get him to tell us anything… … What? … Really? … Well, uh, I guess then, we will wait for you to get here… alright… okay… goodbye."

Raven looked over. "Daft punk are flying into London?"

"That's what they said…" Daniel sighed, putting his phone in the inside pocket in his coat. He rubbed his face roughly in his large, meaty hands. "What a mess…"

Raven sank low in her seat, feeling the guilt bubble up inside her. The whole incident **was** her fault. She did feel bad for causing Mau5 so much grief and anxiety, but more so… she felt bad that her chance of escape was gone. Because she had attempted it, they were probably not going to let her tour around again. Her head lowered as the very thought of permanat imprisonment made her eyes water.

_Worst of all… I'm stuck with him. Now I've seen what can happen… instability… I have to live with that._

James stood up. "After all this chaotic excitement, I'm going to get something to eat," he looked at Daniel first. "Want anything?"

Daniel sighd again, before asking, "Where are you getting it from?"

"There's a kitchen in the back for the technicians. They told me to help ourselves since we'll be staying here. I'm guessing its just instant microwave food…"

Daniel thought a moment. "I'll be fine for now, thank you. I can grab myself something later."

James then turned to Raven. "What about you?"

Raven just slowly shook her head. With that, James walked off to the hallway and disappeared.

Suddenly, one of the technicians came in through another entrance.

"Oi, I'm heading home for tonight. I al'ready locked up all the doors 'cept the back enterance."

"Thanks, friend." Daniel said.

"It's not much, but we pulled out the coach in the lounge room and dug up three air mattresses. That's all we can offer for sleeping arrangements. The key to the ack is in the lounge, so make sure you lock up before going to sleep."

"That's perfect, thank you so much." Daniel said, nodding.

"G'night."

"Goodnight to you." Daniel waved to the technician.

He then turned to Raven. "You're coming with me, we're going to move into the lounge."

"Okay." Raven answered.

They both followed out where the technician left. Once in there, Daniel grabbed the key off the table. "Stay here," he commanded. "I'm going to go ahead and lock up for tonight."

Raven frowned but nodded her head slowly. She sat down on the large coach as Daniel walked back out the room. She sighed deeply, leaning back. She gritted her teeth. The image of the red eyed, black Mau5 lunging towards her with teeth bared came to her mind. It was quite an unpredictable shock she had just lived through._ Some how there was a great chemical imbalance that was triggered in his brain for his appearance to change like that…_

She blinked at the wall… she couldn't even convince herself that what she saw was really here. _What if it was just her eyes playing with her? Did he actually turn black? The red eyes were much more believable._

She then stopped and laughed at her pathetic thoughts. _Look at you… analyzing his appearance, when __**clearly**__ wot is more important is that he almost killed you…_

She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a shriek echo down the halls. Her glance immediately turned to the exit.

…_Mau5?_

She wasn't sure where Daniel and James had locked him up, but that definitely sounded like him.

The hall fell silent again. Raven slowly stood up, keeping her gaze fixed for anything. She knew she wasn't technically supposed to leave this room… but her feet guided her to the doorway. She peaked out in the hall, and saw a door to her right. Her ears began to pick up soft noises, which kind of sounded like muffled cries. Raven walked over to the door to listen closely.

Mau5 was definitely in there. He was muttering some words through is high pitched noises, but she could not make it out. Perhaps it was just rubbish talk… hysterical blabbering.

Raven began to think to herself… _Yes, I caused this. But perhaps I'm the only one who can calm him down?_ It was a **very **modest thought. But she was almost sure with herself. She had been able to get Psycho to calm himself before, and he wasn't much different than Mau5, after all. _It could be dangerous_, she considered. Her hand slowly reached out, her fingertips ready to grip the handle of the door.

Then she stopped. She heard Mau5 moan. Her hand came away from the knob and made a fist to her lips.

_You have caused enough damage for today…_

Raven's gaze fell down to her feet. _Try not to fix anything, Mechanic… _she told herself. This problem was a bit too fragile to touch. Best to leave it sit as it is.

…

Sleep was miserable. Raven hardly got any rest. She had horrible nightmares all night long.

All night she struggled to find her way through twisting alleyways; Alleyways that were so dark and hazy. It felt like being lost in a giant maze. She could see no source of light or text or signs to guide her way. But she heard some sounds... Sounds that were echoing behind her. They were not noises that she wanted to be caught up to… and yet, the more she ran into dead ends, she could hear the sounds getting closer. Panic was swelling in her body, her feet were sliding on the wet ground and her breath was becoming raspy and desperate. The sounds were turning into bellows, and screams and wails. Something out of control. Something angry. Something painful.

She panted and pushed on, hoping she was close to that freedom that was promised somewhere ahead… _I need to make it. I __**need**__ to._

A shadowy figure (every time) grabs her before she can continue on any further. Each time, she wakes up with a start, sweating and gasping before she can make out the figure in the darkness.

The next morning wasn't any better. Daniel and James took Raven into the kitchen in the back to scavenge for breakfast. Daniel told Raven that he checked on Mau5 and found that he had significantly calmed down… So they were going to cautiously bring him in so that he could eat and hydrate too.

_Were they bloody mad?_ Raven thought. Sure he was calm by himself… but what would happen when he saw Raven again? Raven didn't like this idea at all… her gut was clenching tightly at the very thought of it all. But she really didn't have much say in this.

James had left and came back into the kitchen. When he opened the door, Raven saw he was gripping Mau5 firmly by the arm and leading him in slowly.

Raven felt a tear at her heart when she saw Mau5. He looked… **awful.**

Though he walked in with his gaze held very low, she could see patches of missing fur around his eyes as well as the sides of his head where his circular ears connected to his skull. His fur color appeared to be red again, and his eyes were white. They were not the usual bright, glowing white eyes… they looked dull and hazy. He had torn a giant hole in the front of his dress shirt he had worn to last night's concert and his coat was missing. The red tie around his neck had almost completely come undone and was laying limp around his neck.

Raven tried her best not to stare as James guided him over to the corner of the room.

Mau5 sat down in a single chair away from Raven. Daniel came over to him. "Mau5? We found some carrots in the fridge. Would you like some?"

Mau5 simply shook his head, refusing to open his mouth, or even look up.

Raven stayed seated at the round table in the kitchen, barely touching the instant microwave steak Daniel had given her. She watched from the corner of her eye to see if Mau5 would keep control.

"Here, have some water at the very least…" James said, offering a cold water bottle. Mau5 didn't even acknowledge his gift, just kept his gaze fixed on the ground at his feet.

"Mau5… c'mon.." James said softly. "You need to stay hydrated." He attempted to ease the bottle into Mau5's hands, which were rested in his lap. In that instant that James touched the water bottle to Mau5's skin, Mau5 looked up and growled. James jumped a bit in defense, but Mau5 had no desire to attack or fight; simply just warned his friend that he should not be messed with. Raven could see his upper lip still curled up as he bared his large, rodent teeth even after James gave up and walked away. Daniel sighed again, taking a bite of his own microwave food and pulled out his cell phone. He messed with the keys on it to pull up an old text message.

"Daft Punk's flight won't be in until 10:15 PM. Which means they won't be here 'til eleven."

James looked up, his face reflecting much frustration. "What! Why the hell so late?"

"They said all other early flights into London were sold out."

"Wait… they're flying locally?" James asked astonished.

Immediately, Daniel's eyebrows fell down. "No, no! A private jet."

James shock his head with disbelief. "Why couldn't their flight leave like… now? Or before noon?"

"Don't ask me, someone else is wing the only other available private jets."

"But this could be labeled as an 'emergency.' There's seriously nothing that Marie or another government official could do?"

"Again, I don't know. You can ask them when they get here."

James grumbled, returning a seat next to Raven. "So we will be stuck in this building all day?"

"Yep, sure looks like it…" Daniel said. Both of them did not seem to happy with this situation. Raven wasn't particularly happy about it either. She stared down at her soggy stake, both her hands holding up her head. This whole situation felt sickening to be in… why the fuck couldn't she have gotten away? She could have been close to home by now. Her eyes saw Mau5's face in her peripheral vision. She glanced over at him, seeing that he had looked up from his trance and was starring directly at her. She felt her whole body go tense. To her partial relief, he did not look unstable, hostile or angry… rather, his gaze reflected sorrow and pain.

Raven continued to stare back at him, finding that she could not look away. She was very much afraid to… Afraid that when she does, he would be at her throat in a second, either with binding hands or teeth. Her gut told her that she couldn't put her full faith in just two men to hold back this overgrown rodent.

Raven could feel the gaze of both Daniel and James as they watched back and forth between Mau5 and her. They were ready to act in case something were to happen. They were completely expecting something to happen now. To all of their surprise, Mau5 did not move from his place. Instead, he opened his mouth and uttered one statement. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Raven." With that, he hunched over himself and returned his gaze fixed back to the floor.

Raven blinked and then looked to both Daniel and James. They too, exchanged looks to her and to each other. They all seemed very relieved that Mau5 had stayed calm. Guilt came rushing through her again. She wanted to apologize too… _Sorry Mau5, that I hurt your feelings and tried to run away. _But that just didn't seem appropriate. After all, she still wanted to get away. She still wanted to leave and be home. What was the point in apologizing if she meant exactly what she did? Still… she did feel bad, but not enough…


	22. Chapter 22

The day painfully dragged on. Raven found herself lying on the coach in the lounge, thinking that an hour had past, only to be miserably disappointed to see that only seventeen minutes actually went by.

5:42 PM.

_Fuuuuuuck…_

Still had about five more hours until Daft Punk got here… She was dreading when they would, because for all she knew, they would take Mau5 and her and turn right back around on the plane.

She didn't want to go back… but what else could she do? Daniel and James had the place locked tight… She had considered trying to pick a lock, but the problem with that was she wasn't left alone long enough to do so.

A sound caught her attention and she sat up. Mau5 came into view from them door in the hall. He had his gaze fixed down in front of him still and his feet dragged him forward ever so slowly. Several more patches of fur were missing on his face. He looked lost. He looked insane. He looked… **dead.**

Raven sat perfectly still as she watched him creep along. His blank gaze seemed to not see her… she hoped he would just pass by without any trouble.

_Unfortunately…_

Mau5 stopped dead center in the doorway. He did not move a muscle for a very long time. Raven struggled to swallow the lump that again, formed in the back of her throat. _Bloody fuckin'… where is Daniel when I might need him?_

Mau5's head then turned and his gaze fell on Raven. He said nothing, only stared. This stare had become soft… but it didn't ease Raven's fear.

Raven then felt the urge to speak, to break this horrible silence. _It's too risky…_ she thought.

"I want to get rid of this face." Mau5 spoke up suddenly.

Raven shuddered slightly. She didn't like the tone he spoke with.

Mau5 blinked slowly, taking in his words… then he nodded, agreeing with himself.

Suddenly, Raven knew what to say, "You'll become human."

At first, for a second, she thought it was a mistake to say it, because Mau5's tail stood straight up. She had knocked a spark of life in him. His gaze fell back to her. Raven hesitated, but she nodded slowly. "You'll be human."

His eyes glazed with wonder as his cyboric mind absorbed her words.

She wasn't sure why she was telling him this… because at this point, she had little faith that Dead Mau5 would ever reach such a significant goal. But it was what he wanted- what he needed to hear.

"Thank you…" He whispered, and walked off slowly… going back to think some more to himself.

…

10:00 PM

Fifteen minutes until Daft Punk's flight would arrive.

Marie had already arrived. She sat with James and Daniel in the lounge, discussing what would come next. Something along the lines of confidential government bullshit… or wotever…

Raven was no walking around the empty halls alone. She had become anxious as hell and could not stay still. She didn't have much more time of freedom. _The chance was lost._

She walked into another hall that had large windows making a look out to the world. The glass looked thick… and cold. Raven's feet stopped her in front of these huge, icy windows. She looked out them with hopeless eyes.

The moon had appeared high in the sky again; its white, soft gaze fell through the glass and rested on Raven's face. She signed, biting her lower lip. She so badly wanted to be home… away from all this mess.

She closed her eyes for a second, reflecting on her memories of home… of her mother, of her small apartment, her friends in high school and… he kangaroo companion.

Psycho… I hope you are all right…

Raven's eyes fluttered open again and her breath fell short. Her eyes became wide. She couldn't believe… what has just appeared…

She continued to stare out the window in a narrow alley that merged with this side of the building.

_Hopping… stopping to look, listen, sniff…_

As if fate had heard her… _there he was!_ Psycho, the lizard kangaroo had come bounding right into the hidden area of the parking lot.

Raven's jaw completely dropped. Her hand pressed flat against the cold window. _Was this real? Was he really there?_

The way the moonlight reflected harshly on his purple, scaly body, the way that his body shuttered when he let out a harsh snort, the way his ears twitched in all directions and shivered in the cool night air… he **had** to be real.

Raven did not stall. She turned to her right and ran towards the door that led out to that parking lot. Just for the sake of time, she pushed on it.

_**Locked.**_

Quickly, her hands dove into her pockets as she hastily fished for something to pick the lock. A fork? Maybe she stored on accidentally? A tack? Did she remember picking up such a thing? _Ah!_

Her hand pulled out a single bobby pin. Of course, she had used a few of these to pin up her hair under her raving mask and wig. She knelt down on one knee, squinted an eye into the keyhole and began to stuff part of the bobby pin around. She felt for the lock shape… it was difficult. She had only done this once before.

_C'mon… c'mon!_ Her heart was racing all of a sudden, thumping loudly in her chest. She stopped for a second to glance over her shoulder and see if anyone saw her. They had forgotten about her for a while now…

Just stay in the parking lot a little longer, boy…

Frantically, she twisted and turned the pin. _It had to open, it just had to!_

Then…

_**CLICK!**_

_Freedom… Could I call this fuck'n luck?_

Raven slammed the door open as softly as she possibly could. The energy and excitement was rapidly surging through her. She ran out to the raised platform of the concrete and glanced down the stairs.

_He saw her._

The moment that door opened, Psycho turned his head wildly around in her direction. First his eyes had reflected startled panic… then as his memory of his dear friend came racing through him, they softened. Raven immediately felt tears build up in her own eyes, as her body quivered with joy.

Psycho's lips parted slightly as he let out a soft cry. _Rrrraa…_ His paws trembled.

_I found you…_

"Psycho." Raven whispered.

He hunched over and began to jump towards her. Raven felt the tug to rush towards her friend. Her feet were just about to pull her down the stairs and into the parking lot… "….Raven?"

All the happiness in her melted away and she became caked fear once again. She turned to look behind her and her heart almost leaped through her throat and out her mouth. Mau5 stood next to her, his eyes full of disbelief. He had to say nothing more… she could see what he was screaming in his mind:

_Why? Why would you do this… __**again?**_

They both heard a loud, angry snort.

Mau5's eyes quickly darted over and fell on Psycho. His whole body tensed up.

_You…_ He knew this beast. It only took him a few seconds of observation and scanning.

This… was the kangaroo lizard. This was Raven's other mutant companion.

Psycho stood tall on his large, powerful legs. His long ears were folded back. His milky white eyes leered at the red, mousy creature standing too close to Raven.

_What is this… thing? Was this what took Raven away?_ Anger and panic bubbled up inside his gut.

_Grrr… __**grrrl!**_

Raven's eyes darted back and forth in absolute panic. The two most unstable creatures had their eyes locked… they both looked… like they were about to snap. _Could this get any more fucking dangerous?_

"Raven… this bastard wants to take you away…" Mau5 snarled. His voice had become significantly deeper and aggressive.

"Mau5…" She began, trying to get him to calm down. This wasn't going to end well and she knew it. She could already see his eyes starting to fade to a bright red, as his lips curled back to show his fangs.

Immediately, Psycho took this as a challenge for his human friend. He bellowed out a loud, hissing roar.

The fur on Mau5's face and tail stood straight up.

Raven let out a loud scream as both raging animals rushed at one another.

Psycho lunged high up, aiming to come down on top of Mau5. Mau5's feet sprinted him to the side, barely avoiding Psycho's tackle. He didn't however avoid the whiplash of the kangaroo's tail. With a powerful _**thwack!**_ The sharp spines on his tail scraped the rodent DJ's face. He squeaked loudly but lunged his gnarled fingers towards the kangaroo's neck. He gripped tightly and pulled the beast's neck to his lips. His large, mouse teeth sunk firmly into the skin. Psycho's eyes went wide and began to kick and jump violently to knock Mau5 off. But Mau5 held on held on, biting down harder and piercing the flesh.

"Stop! Both of you, please!" Raven pleated.

She only stood helplessly alone to the side. If she even tried to come between them, she knew she'd lose an arm, leg or even her head. Her body trembled at the sight in front of her. Mau5 had bitten so deeply in Psycho's neck, a stream of blood was starting to drip down. Psycho continued to flail about, hoping to knock the attacker off. He wailed, whined and grunted.

"Mau5, stop!" Raven cried. But Mau5 could not hear her. His anger and rage had blinded him to just on task: **kill the threat.**

Psycho then fell over on his side, still hollering in pain. Raven felt her whole body clench. She ran forward now, her fingers gripping Mau5's dress shirt tightly and she pulled with all her might. Mau5 refused to release… he kept his grip firm with both his jaws and hands. Raven began to cry. "Mau5! Let him go!"

Psycho's eyes flashed open as he pulled one of his back legs between his own body and Mau5. With a loud grunt, his leg slammed into Mau5's chest and sent him flying a good 5 feet. Raven felt the fabric of his clothes rip from her hands. The air in his lunges escaped his lips with a whip as the wind was knocked right out of him. He landed hard on the pavement in total shock. Psycho got up slowly before he turned on Mau5 to pursue. Just as Mau5's struggled to get to his feet, psycho lunged at him again and head butted him over. Psycho was about to sink his own teeth into Mau5, but the rodent whipped his hand around in a tight fist. That fist meant to collide with Psycho's lower jaw… instead it slammed harshly up into the roof of Psycho's mouth. Both Psycho and Mau5 gasped in pain. Psycho's teeth had sunk holes into Mau5's knuckles and the impact jerked Psycho's head back violently. Raven saw the opportunity to try and grab a hold of Psycho's scruff around his neck and pull him back. She grabbed the thick fur and yanked, but could not move the kangaroo away. Her heart was beating so harshly in her rib cage. _Please, let this stop!_

Psycho whipped his mouth off of Mau5 and lunged forward with his front paws, clawing and tearing at Mau5's face and body. Mau5's only defense, having the body of a human, held his arms up to protect himself. The insides of his arms were getting ripped to shreds. His teeth gritted but he pushed back, trying to get the kangaroo off of him. Raven still held on to her friend, trying to slow him down. Tears were watering her vision. "Psycho, stop! Both of you- STOP!"

Just as Raven let out a shriek, Psycho leaped up, knocking her back on her behind. His hinge legs kicked Mau5 and knocked him back another 5 or 6 feet. He came crashing down on some wooden boxes lying on the sides of the alley wall. The crates caved in on Mau5's weight and splitters of wood flew around him. Mau5 groaned in pain.

Psycho looked back to Raven now, bringing his head down to her level. His eyes reflected apology. Raven used his head gripped in her hands to stand back up. "Psycho… be calm." She said, still gripped his head. She tried to prevent him from looking back at Mau5.

_Keep his gaze on you... focus his energy on you, and you alone._

Psycho grunted in confusion. He thought he was doing right… protecting Raven. But her gaze seemed displeased…

Mau5 shook his head, trying to recover. He looked down on the broken crates he fell on. His eyes then went wide….

_Batteries… the boxes had large, electrical batteries in them…_ A revengeful grin formed on his dark, furry face.

"Heh~ …c'mon…" He panted.

Psycho immediately turned to him, leering.

"No… no, boy… look at me!" Raven begged.

Mau5 slowly got on his knees, and his tail coiled around him. He looked up at the large Kangaroo, sneering. Even though he looked broken and beaten up; much worse than Psycho, he looked to be glowing with confidence.

_Stupid Rat!_ Raven thought, still trying to turn Psycho back towards her. Psycho refused to look back. His furious glare stayed fixed on Mau5. This stupid mouse still threatened him.

With a snort, Psycho hunched over and stomped his foot on the asphalt.

"C'mon… I dare you!" Mau5 beckoned.

"Wot are you-" Raven began, until her eyes fell to his feet. She saw his tail slip into a plug on a high volt battery. She knew what he was up to.

"Psycho.. don't-"

"C'MON!" Mau5 shouted, spreading his bleeding arms out to the kangaroo. Immediately, Psycho lunged away from Raven and straight at the Mau5.

"NO!" Raven screamed.

In that instant, the battery was turned on. Mau5's eyes blazed brightly like spotlights. Psycho saw this change as bad, but it was too late… he could not halt quickly enough. Mau5 put his palms flat out towards the kangaroo, just as his body came forward. As soon as Mau5's hands made contact to Psycho's chest, the kangaroo's body locked up tightly and he began to quiver violently. He let out an ear-piercing holler; the fur on his face and neck stood straight up and saliva began to dribble from his open mouth. His face reflected accelerating pain and shock.

Raven put her hands to the sides of her face.

_Holy fuck!_

Psycho then collapsed on his back and fell motionless. Mau5 panted, pulling his tail out of the battery. The energy of electricity flowing through him and to the kangaroo was a lot to handle. He loomed over his opponent, absorbing the situation. Raven shuddered as she let out muffled cries.

_Psycho…. Are you….?_ She shook her head in disbelief.

Mau5 grinned fiendishly. "Yeah.." he said towards the still creature below him. "Fuck you!" he shouted.

Raven felt an anger swell through her like fire. The instinct to strangle Mau5 overwhelmed her. She wanted to avenge her friend… her poor friend who just wanted to get her home safely. Before she could move forward, there was movement below. Both she and Mau5 looked down. Psycho had turned his head up towards the rodent. It was weak, but it appeared that a deceiving grin shown on his face. He let out one sound: practically a laugh… and another back leg came hurdling towards Mau5, too quickly to avoid. Psycho's foot bashed into the bottom of Mau5's jaw, forcing his head up awkwardly. Raven gasped in shock as the sound of a loud _**CRACK!**_ was heard. That kick was too powerful.. Mau5's jaw had been shattered. Mau5 fell down with a thud. His body twitched in shock.

Raven stared… her mind was having trouble comprehending all this.

_Did this really all happen so quickly?_

Psycho got up very easily, his body still tensing and spazzing from the electrical shock.

Mau5 laid crippled on the ground, sprawled out and helpless… completely vulnerable.

Raven sensed Psycho wanting to attack again, so she reached out and grabbed his scruff. "No more." She pleaded. She had enough violence. This, aside from his foe unable to stand, calmed the lizard kangaroo.

_This was the turning…_

Raven looked upon Mau5, her emotions clashing hard. She still could not decide what she felt towards this… being. She watched him struggle… he was trying to drag his hand along the ground and reach Raven. He could not turn his head; only awkwardly stare up at them both. Raven knew one thing… she felt pity for him. Her desire to be home was too great now to hold her back, but she knew he wouldn't understand this. She knew, once she left, he wouldn't know why. He would hate himself for this, and perhaps even grow to hate her. Hate her for this pain she was about to put him through.

_Now you will understand what I have felt._

Raven knelt down in front of Mau5, softening her gaze. She put a hand softly down on his head. He felt his soft fur on her fingertips.

This creature was so much like a child… he was dependent, and weak at heart. He had put so much faith and love into Raven for such a short period of time. And now that she threatened to leave… all that love, faith, dependency… was killing him.

He only looked at her pleading, in great desperation. _Don't go, Raven…_ he seemed to say. _Please don't go… don't leave me…_

She felt the pity swim over her even more. As she looked upon his broken face, she saw some pattern blinking in his right eye: A single 'X' was fighting to form on that eye. A soft gurgle could be heard in his throat from struggling to speak, but the broken jaw denied him this.

Raven sighed softly… Mau5 reached up and his fingers gently gripped her hand on his head.

_Don't go, Raven… please…_

"I'm sorry, Mau5." She whispered. She pulled her hand away from his grasp and stood up. The last look she saw on his face drilled a hole in her heart, …but it still wasn't enough to stop her.

She turned to Psycho, who hunched down low on the ground. She climbed up on his back, gripping his back scruff for support. "Take us home, boy…" She spoke in his long ear. With that Psycho turned back to the exit from whence he came. With one push, he was off, leaping away in long strides.

Raven held tight and kept her eyes straight ahead. She dare not look back... she couldn't.

…

"_Rippin' my heart was so easy~ So __**easy**__~"_

…

Psycho's hops became quick as he darted into a street and then reemerged into the shelter of tall buildings. Raven's hands and legs clenched tightly to his body as he bounced along.

…

"_Launch your assault now… take it __**easy**__~"_

…

There was a burn within. She couldn't quite describe it. It was like something was dying inside.

…

"_Raise your weapon~ Raise your weapon~"_

…

Mau5 felt his heart crumbling in on itself. The pain… not just the pain of a broken jaw, but deep down… was choking him.

Raven…

…

"_One word~ … and it's… __**over**__~"_

…

A single tear fell from Raven's face. _One tear… just for you Mau5._

…

…

…

"Daniel! He's over here!" James shouted.

_How long had it been? It felt like forever…_

Daniel rushed over to James's side. "Oh… oh shit…"

Both the bodyguards knelt down to find Mau5 completely motionless on the asphalt. His jaw was severally dislocated and one 'X' was flickering off and on in his right eye. His body was scratched and bruised, his clothes ripped and tattered.

"Is he… dead?" James gasped, his eyes bulging out of his skull.

Daniel reached his hand to Mau5, placing two fingers on the DJ's neck. He paused.

James became restless and quite upset. "Oh, fuck, man! He's dead! Ah gawd, Daft Punk is gonna have out hides!" He stood up, rummaging his hands through his hair and began pacing in circles. "No, no, no! We were supposed to watch them both! At all times! Ah fuck! That lil' bitch.. it's all her fault!"

"Quiet!" Daniel hissed. He paused again.

"What?" James demanded. "What is it?"

"…He's not dead… he's just unconscious."

James let out a loud gasp of relief. "… We're still gonna be in a lot of trouble for this. Out jobs are pretty much gone. Daft Punk will be arriving any minute. What are we suppose to say?"

Daniel remained quite as he thought. He stared at poor Mau5. Suddenly they heard a faint noise come from the back of Mau5's throat. He was awake… he reached up at Daniel, weakly.

"We'll tell them… Raven ran off and Mau5 found out first. We do not know how he got so hurt… We did not hear anything. It's a sound proof building, after all…"

"Fuck, me…" James said, his voice shaking.

Daniel reached with his large, meaty hands and placed it on Mau5's head.

"There, there…" he whispered to the rodent. "It's going to be okay, Mau5…"

But it was very clear how damaged Mau5 was. Daniel and James could see the psychical and mental pain all over his furry face. For once, the rodent seemed to be crying… crying real, salty, watery tears.


	23. Chapter 23

While traveling, there came wind. And with wind, came a rain. This cold, bitter rain that she was very familiar with...

"Such miserable weather…" she recalled from a song.

On, they traveled. Psycho hopped, his powerful legs sending him in great bounds. Just as they left the city limits of London, they entered up in huge rolling hills. They came up to the highest point of the countryside, just to meet with the last sight of stars. Psycho let out a tired pant and slowed down at the very top. Raven too felt miserably tired. They had traveled all night to ensure they would be safe from being seen. Now that they were in the security of emptiness, they were ready to collapse and rest. The kangaroo slowly waddled over to a large tube that sat nestled in some tall grass. A tube used at most construction sites, which had been abandoned here, would serve as their shelter. Raven held on to Psycho with the little strength she had left. Once he had crawled into the tube and plopped himself down, did she let go and easily slide off next to him. Her body ached with exhaustion. She looked over at her kangaroo companion, and stroked the top of his head and ears. He let out a shuddering snort, reflecting his dreariness, but a soft suggested smile crept on the corners of his mouth. He closed his eyes slowly, resting his head down on the cold pavement of the tube. His body had recovered from the electricity… and the deep bite in his neck started to scab over, the blood on his fur now dry and flakey. He was weak, tired, and still very sore from his previous combat, but he felt content… satisfied that Raven was back and safe with him.

Raven also felt thrilled to be back with her old friend, and sleepiness helped numb away the guilt she had felt before… but only temporarily.

She lay down next to Psycho and rested her head on his exposed belly. His scaly body wasn't at all very comfortable, but she didn't care… the security was enough to knock her out. Both the human girl and her mutant pet slept deeply in the tube, safe from the cold rain, the wind and the eyes of the world.

Raven had slept all day. Her body refused to awaken until her strength was completely restored.

She felt her body fading in and out of consciousness several times. In between moments of sleep, music echoed in her head. Familiar rhythms, beats, sounds… and words…

A crystal voice of a woman.

"_I __**remember**__~"_

Her eyes flashed open and she gasped out loud. "Mau-" she almost began. _No… he's not here. Not anymore._

Raven then looked around frantically. Her memory came back to her. She had fallen asleep in this cement tube… had slept through the entire day… and awakened in the evening.

But… where was Psycho?

He had fallen asleep next to her, but as she sat there wide awake, she did not see him anywhere.

"Psycho…" she called. No answer. "Psycho," she said a little louder. Still nothing. All she could hear was the chirping of a lonely cricket nearby and the drizzle of rain on the tube and the earth.

"_Psycho!"_

At that moment, the kangaroo came bounding into view. Raven closed her eyes for a second, gasping in relief. Her friend hopped into the tube and hunched over. In his jaws, he held onto a plastic package. She blinked up at him as his jaw twitched and his head bobbed up and down.

"Wot's that, boy?" Raven asked, holding out her hand under his mouth. Psycho opened his mouth all the way, and dropped the package into her palm.

Raven brought it down, flattened out the crumbled wrinkles in the plastic and examined it. She smiled. "Food."

The package contained crisps that were salted. Good ol' Salt n' Shake… Raven eagerly ripped open the package and popped a crisp in her mouth. She didn't realize how hungry her stomach was until food was right there in front of her.

Psycho laid back down next to her and watched her eat, his nose sniffing and his eyes large. His mouth was beginning to salavate.

Raven glanced over at him. "...You haven't eaten yet, have you?" She asked. She then pulled out a fist full of the crisps and placed them down in front of the kangaroo. Quickly, Psycho bent his head down, and his long, green, lizard tongue licked up the crisps into his mouth. He crunched on the food and sighed deeply.

"Sorry, forgot you had trouble getting food out of plastic…" Raven said, rubbing the scruff of the fur under his jaw.

Psycho leaned against Raven with his head, chewing slowly.

"You snagged these from one of those out of town vendors, didn't you?" Raven asked, throwing him a sly look. Psycho just glanced up at her with large, blank eyes. Then a grin crept up his face, his sharp, pointy teeth gleaming in the low light.

Raven chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm not complaining… I don't have any pounds on me that could have paid for it…"

She continued to pick the crisps out of the bag and feast on the small meal, as well as share the delectable treat with her companion. She leaned up against his belly again, her gaze looking back out of the tube. The light drizzle of rain made everything sparkle and damp, which would explain why the fur and scales on her roo were so moist. The sky was dark and murky… so gloomy and depressing. Raven suddenly felt a weight plunge down in the pit of her gut. She made a very sour frown. The moment of turning was so recent. She could not possibly shake it from her thoughts. It swam around in her brain, haunting and pulsing, penetrating the emotions in her heart and stirring up her anxiety.

Raven had learned by now to keep her outer self calm and at bay, even though her mental self was having a breaking riot.

_It was that look…_ Raven thought. The last look she saw on Mau5's broken face was what gnawed at her the most. The look of realization that Raven **didn't** want to stay… that she was **not** happy with him… that… unfortunately… she did **not** share the same feelings for him as he did for her.

_Wot did he expect? No way to start a relationship of any kind by drugging 'em up and sleeping with 'em._

Still… why did she feel bad? Why was the pain in her heart continuing to nag her and weigh her down?

'Raven… don't go… please, don't leave me…'

Perhaps, she did grow to like him. She got to know his character and found it okay. It wasn't perfect, but then again, was she? Was anyone perfect? She had enjoyed being around him sometimes.

…It was still not the same feelings he had expressed for her. Mau5 had obviously grown to admire her above all things. To him, she was his eye candy, his motivation, his love, his best friend… perhaps even his idol. The longer she spent time around him, the more she noticed that his desire to be like her… to be **human**, had greatly increased.

And now she was gone. All of that… gone. Just like that. Such was life…

"I can't imagine how you are feeling now…" she whispered. Psycho lifted his head back up at Raven, after finishing his last crisp. He cocked his head in confusion. Raven only placed her hand down softly on his head, smiling to him and shaking her head slowly. "He really wasn't so bad, Psycho…" she began. Psycho gave a grunt. She didn't blame him, and would never expect him to understand. He didn't know the rodent like she did. Not by a long shot.

Since that fight had ended so brutally, and Mau5 had taken so much damage… she wasn't sure if he had even survived. She didn't know if he was still living and breathing and able to feel the inner pain she thought he would. That kick to the jaw could have led to a terrible infection… and possibly a break in a few veins and arteries… loss of blood could be very fatal. It would have then all depended on if someone had found and rescued him on time. _Did Daniel and James find him? Did they tend to him before it was too late…?_

Her body tensed up. _Or is he still lying there… bleeding, broken… and finally a dead Mau5? _That image… of his limp, dead body still spilt in the parking lot cracked her thoughts.

She shuddered, taking the backs of her palms and rubbing them harshly on her closed eyes. _No, no, no… I will not cry or break down. It's far too late to do anything about it. It's already behind me now… it has already happened. Nothing can change it now…_

_Nothing- he's…. he's dead…_

Her eyes burned.

He's dead… and it's all **my** fault.

Raven pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them and bent her head down, her face hidden from sight. She let the tears come. It needed to. She cried… cried painful, guilty, shuddering tears.

Psycho leaned his head against her and grunted softly. He had no concept of why his friend was crying, and he did not like to see her sad. Seeing her sad made the panic slightly bubble under the surface… so he nudged her, bumped her and fussed in her ear, trying to get her to cheer up.

But she wouldn't… she could not be happy right now. The last bit of guilt she felt towards that whole experience with the Mau5 and the alien robots was boiling over… and the final drops of it needed to come out.

Finally after much pestering from her kangaroo friend, Raven reached around and wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face into his fur so that she could muffle her cries.

Psycho gave one final grunt, making his body quiver. His long ears folded down and he fell silent. There was nothing to do but wait until Raven stopped crying. So he would wait… and keep her company. Pretty soon, the moon would be up high in the sky and it would be time to travel on. They still had two more nights to journey until they returned to Essex. And then… they would have much more time to rest… and dwell… it necessary.

…

Twenty miles out in the countryside, the rain had lifted, but the wind stayed strong. The sky had become pitch black. The moon was almost full and provided a glittering array of light to show the way.

North east was their destination.

Raven held on to Psycho, her damp hair whipping around her face. That cold wind would not let up. She shivered several times, wishing she had her purple hoodie now…

_I'll have it soon. It's waiting for me back home._

That thought brought a huge grin to her face. They weren't that far now. They had already entered the county of Essex. It was only a matter of time.

_We're almost home._

Psycho seemed to be excited too. His bounds became faster and covered more distance, and his head was held high. Raven sat up higher on his shoulders to peer out to the horizon. She saw dim lights. She could see the road… the road that led off the highway and into the town.

And then she saw the sign: _Colchester's Blackberry Bakery._

She lifted a hand into the air. Every nerve in her body wanted to shout with joy now. But she couldn't, not yet…. She had to keep quiet so that no one would hear them. So she just reached her out stretched hand up to the stars and let the excitement warm her heart. She closed her eyes tightly and the grin stretched tightly over her face.

_**YYYYYYESSSSSSSS!**_

One, two, three hops. The dark and small building of Blackberry Bakery was behind them.

Four, five, six hops. They were long past the welcome signs.

Seven, eight, nine hops. They had entered the jungle of houses of the neighborhood.

Raven's eyes got huge when the rooftops, the broken windows, and the filthy streets became recognizable. She saw the familiar turns in the small streets, the cracked pavement, and the withered looking shrubs at the sides of each house as they dashed by.

Never… had her slum-like neighborhood looked… so beautiful. She had never thought she'd be back. But she was. And it was making her heart flame and beat with **euphoria**. Absolute **euphoria**.

Psycho turned another corner and she held her breath at the sight.

There it was… Home.

There was the crusty, brick apartment that she could call her home, sweet home.

There it **was.**

Psycho halted right outside the tall, metal gate in front of it. He lowered his belly down almost all the way to the ground, and Raven jumped off his back. Her feet landed on the dirty sidewalk. She continued to stare up with complete dismay. Psycho then nudged her arm with his face, breaking her from her trance. She looked down at him and smiled big. She reached both her hands out to him and brought his face to hers. She nuzzled his face, grinning wide. "Thank you, Psycho. Thank you for getting me home safely."

Psycho grunted softly, stretching his neck out so he could push against her and return the affection. He was just as happy to have her back.

Now everything could go back to the way it was…

"See you tomorrow evening, boy," Raven said, giving him one last nuzzle and a rub on the forehead. Psycho nodded to her slightly and he turned to flee back to the outskirts of the city. The sun would be rising in a few hours. He had to get somewhere safe before the early morning risers saw him.

Once he was out of sight, Raven turned back to the gate and opened it. She walked up to the small porch of her apartment.

The door was probably locked. _Mum is still asleep_. Raven smiled and closed her eyes. She sank down to the ground and sat on the dusty welcome mat, and leaned up against the locked door. She would wait for her mom to awaken. She couldn't wait to see her…

She couldn't wait to return to _life_ once again.


	24. Chapter 24

"GOODNESS MAU5…" Thomas sighed. His voice sounded like a strange mix of grief and disappointment.

Guy stood next to him, looking down at their creation… at their child; now in a crippled state.

Mau5 lay on the air mattress, his head rolled to the side. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply. His jaw… still shattered, fell awkwardly open and gnashed in a horrible position.

He slept… he had lost so much energy; he could do nothing but sleep.

Guy turned to his robotic companion. "THIS IS GOING TO GET OUT… RAVEN IS GOING TO BE HUNTED DOWN AND KILLED. SHE KNOWS TOO MUCH. SHE WON'T LAST LONG…"

Thomas continued to gaze down at the sleeping Mau5, his visor blank as he thought.

Guy's monitor on his helmet lit up on the sides and an icon of an unhappy face appeared. "HONESTLY, THOMAS… WE SHOULD NOT INTERFER WITH THAT CHILD ANYMORE. SHE HAS CAUSED US MORE PROBLEMS THAN PLANNED. IT WAS HER CHOICE TO RUN AWAY… SHE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES."

Thomas still did not stop thinking. He had heard Guy's words, and considered them with his own thoughts. He knelt down next to Mau5, to get a better look at the damage. He observed the cuts and scratches on his arms, the tears and missing chunks of fur on his face, and the indent on the bottom of his broken jaw line.

"PLEASE TELL ME WE WON'T GO AFTER THE GIRL AND GET HER BACK. I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER ANYMORE." Guy's helmet turned a bright red, expressing his rage. "WHATEVER SHE DID, SHE CAUSED TOO MUCH PAIN TO MAU5. SHE COST US A HUGE DENT IN OUR WORK."

"I KNOW…" Thomas finally said. "WE WON'T GO AFTER HER."

He rose to his feet and looked over at his friend. The word 'human' appeared on his visor. "MAU5 IS TOO HUMAN. HE IS GOING TO EXPERIENCE HUMAN EMOTION AFTER ALL THIS. LOSING RAVEN IS GOING TO BRING A HUGE BURDEN ON HIM. WE CANNOT BRING HER BACK AND RISK HER RUNNING AWAY AGAIN. SHE WILL WANT TO… AND PROBABLY TRY AND GET AWAY EVERYTIME SHE IS TRAPPED WITH US."

Guy nodded, for he agreed. He then looked down at Mau5, a question mark popping up on his screened face. "WHAT COULD MAU5 HAVE POSSIBLY DONE TO DO THIS TO HIMSELF?"

Thomas shook his head. The word 'Another' appeared on his face. "HE DID NOT DO THIS TO HIMSELF…"

Guy thought on his words, and then an exclamation point appeared, showing he started to understand something that Thomas had considered.

"YOU REMEMBER MAU5 MENTIONING THAT RAVEN WAS FRIENDS WITH A MUTANT? A LABORATORY EXPERIEMENT THAT HUMANS HAVE CREATED?"

Guy nodded. He remembered well. Their memory was strong.

"THIS IS ENGLAND. THIS IS WHERE THAT CREATURE LIVES. MIGHT IT NOT MAKE SENSE THAT IT CAME AND DEFENDED RAVEN… AND GAVE HER A QUICK AND EASY ESCAPE?"

Guy nodded again. "THAT EXPLAINS THE UNUSUAL WOUNDS."

Thomas made a sound like an electronic sigh.

"BUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO TELL THE AUTHORITY? THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE TRUTH." Guy said.

Thomas was quiet for a while... He was contemplating an idea. "THIS CONCERT WAS A BIG ONE... MANY PEOPLE WERE HERE... MAY CRAZY, OUT OF CONTROL PEOPLE."

Guy looked over at Thomas again, the question mark reappearing over his face.

"THIS WAS A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. SEVERAL FANS WERE DESPERATE TO SEE DEAD MAU5 AFTER THE SHOW. THEY GANGED UP ON AND GOT PASSED OUR ONLY TWO BODY GUARDS, MADE A MAD RUSH TO THE BACK STAGE ROOMS, AND IN THE PROCESS... SEVERALLY WOUNDED MAU5 AND-"

"-KILLED RAVEN?" Finished Guy.

Thomas nodded. "PRECISELY. MAU5 GOT THE SCRATCHES FROM A WOMAN'S FAKE NAILS AND THE BROKEN JAW FROM AN ELBOW OR FIST WITH ALL THE COMMOTION."

Guy's head lowered. He seemed skeptical about using this story. "AND WHAT ABOUT RAVEN?"

"SHE TOO WAS SCRATCHED AND BEATEN... HOWEVER, A PARTICULAR MALE TRIED TO DRAG HER OFF AND TAKE HER AWAY, WHICH WE ALL CAN ASSUME WOULD HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED RAPE. SHE RESISTED AND FOUGHT BACK, SO THE MALE WAS GIVEN NO CHOICE BUT TO PULL A KNIFE ON HER BEFORE SHE MADE TOO MUCH NOISE."

"AND WHAT OF THE BODY? DON'T YOU THINK THEY WILL WANT EVIDENCE THAT SHE IS ACTUALLY DEAD?"

Thomas paused before that answer came to him. "MARIE IS OUT PROOF. IF WE HAVE HER REPORT AND SAY SHE LOOKED OVER THE BODY, WE SHOULD BE FINE."

A frowning icon appeared on Guy's helmet. "I DON'T KNOW, THOMAS. WHY SHOULD WE STICK OUR NECKS OUT FOR RAVEN? LOOK AT WHAT SHE CAUSED..." He said, gesturing his hands out over the sleeping Mau5.

Thomas looked at Mau5, but did not answer. His visor was blank again.

"WHY ARE YOU DEFENDING HER? SHE'S AN OUTSIDER..."

"SHE'S NO OUTSIDER. SHE EXPERIENCED OUT LIFE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SHORT. SHE WAS FAMILY."

Guy shook his head. "BUT SHE DIDN'T THINK OF HERSELF AS FAMILY. THAT'S WHY SHE RAN OFF."

Thomas lowered his head. "I CONSIDERED HER FAMILY... AND MAU5 DID TOO." His voice was firm in his opinion.

Guy made his own electrical sigh.

"BESIDES, GUY, I KNOW MAU5 WOULD WANT RAVEN SAFE."

Again, a frowning face came upon Guy's helmet. "MAYBE... BUT AFTER THIS, HE WILL BE FEELING MANY HUMAN EMOTIONS... THAT MIGHT INCLUDE ANGER AND A DESIRE FOR REVENGE."

"MAU5 IS A KIND SOUL. HE'LL NEVER BE DRIVEN TO THAT." Thomas said, his voice softening now.

Guy's helmet went blank as he stared. He had a suspicion for why Thomas was really defending Raven... that it might be relative to how Guy felt towards Marie. But he could also see Thomas's point. Mau5 may be spiteful and mad now, but he would eventually remember the old emotions he felt for the girl.

So finally, Guy caved in and agreed. "OKAY WE'LL GO WITH THAT STORY."

Then Thomas turned and looked behind him in the hallway. "NOW WE JUST NEED TO SOMEHOW GET DANIEL AND JAMES TO AGREE TO BE BEATEN UP SO THAT THEY LOK LIKE THEY WERE ACTUALLY ATTACKED AND OVER POWERED BY A CROWD."

"I'M SURE THEY WILL CONSIDER IF WE TELL THEM THAT THERE JOBS WILL BE SAFE." Guy replied.

A smiley icon scrolled over Thomas's visor along with the word 'indeed.'

…

This pain was growing. It was like a virus… the first virus that he could not with stand. It was growing under his skin, in the back of his skull, in his lungs and in his heart. He breathed and could feel the pain rattling inside him. It was **unbearable.**

The flight back to France was horrible. He couldn't remember it all. He had lost it again, gone mad. Terrible words were bashed from his mouth.

"_I won't leave! No, no! Fuck you all, I must not leave! Raven! Raven! I can't leave!"_

Daniel and James practically had to hold him down while Daft Punk drugged him up. Temporary peace and contentment. But it wouldn't last… the pain was still there, the drugs just covered it up. Once the plane landed, they exited the private runway of the airport and they returned to their cozy studio, the burning pain returned.

It burned while Mau5 lay on the table, strapped down as Thomas and Guy worked on fixing his broken jaw. They prodded him, cut at the bone and fed him thousands of different pain relief medication. He could still feel the physical pain, and it was nowhere as bad as the mental pain.

He cried, screamed and wailed. Daniel was holding him down for extra support, Guy and Thomas were busily trying to fix his face as fast as possible. They sewed in artificial fur around his eyes and ears, they tweaked the nerves that were destroyed around his mouth… it kept going.

On and on.

_STOP. STOP! PLEASE JUST __**STOP!**_

But it didn't.

Mau5 sat in his room on the floor. His sheet white room. There was a full body mirror opposite of the door. He would not look at the mirror; rather his back was turned to it. His head was held low and he stared down into his lap.

This pain. This **pain.**

He felt the sorrow bubbling up in him again. He gripped his body tightly with his arms as he burrowed his face into his chest.

'_MAU5, WE REALIZE YOU ARE SUFFERING. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. WE EXPECT YOU TO NEED TIME. LOTS OF TIME.'_

Mau5 reflected Thomas's words and the pain swelled. "I don't _want_ time! I... I..." Mau5's shrill voice began… he felt his hands shaking. "I want…" He was about to cry for Raven again. But he stopped… _No, he didn't want Raven. That wasn't what he __**really**__ wanted._

He whipped his head around and glared into the mirror. He saw in the mirror, the horrible, ugly image of a mutant, red rodent leering back at him. Rage began to build with the pain.

"You know why she left. You know!" Mau5 sputtered, his body beginning to quiver. "She didn't want to live with a Mau5. She wants to live with people, with **other** humans!" He felt the rage burst to a burning life as he saw the reflection in the mirror mimicking him; mocking him. "Stop staring at me!" He screamed at his reflection. "Stop! You're awful! You're hideous!"

He stood up, hunched over. His eyes were beginning to glow a slight red color. "You're a MONSTER!" He took his fist tightly and swung hard at the mirror. A huge trace of cracks rushed across the entire surface. He struck again. Another scattering pattern of cracks appeared. Again… more shatters. He had hit the mirror so many times, that pieces of it flew off. They fell to the floor or flew past his face, or got wedged deeply in his skin on his fists.

He finally stopped. He stared at the broken mirror. It wasn't really a mirror anymore… he couldn't see a reflection of any kind in it.

Then the tears came again. _You really are a monster_... He took his bloody hands and rubbed his eyes. His long, gnarled teeth gnashed. And then the words came…

"I want to be human…" He sobbed. "Raven, I want to be like you."

But he was not human. He was cursed to live like… _this._

"MAU5?" A voice said behind him.

Mau5 still stood, hunched over, covering his large, bulging eyes as he cried.

"MAU5, WHAT DID YOU DO?" Even though he was sure they were upset about the broken mirror, they talked softly, trying to comfort him.

Guy had walked up behind him, and put two metal hands on his shoulders. The helmet face of one of his creators light up and the image of a frowning face appeared. "MAU5… ARE YOU OKAY?"

Mau5 did not wish to speak. He did not want to hear his own voice anymore. He had become rather sick with everything about himself.

With no reply, Guy just brought Mau5 into a hug. He tried his best to comfort the rodent DJ, who stood almost a foot taller than him. He remained silent as he let his friend release his grieving.

"I PROMISE EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE. THESE EMOTIONS WON'T LAST FOREVER, EVEN THOUGH THEY SEEM LIKE IT NOW. YOU WILL BE FINE, MAU5. YOU ARE STRONG. YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS."

Mau5 slowly nodded his head between his sniffles and squeaks. He remained still and let Guy hold him. He knew his wise creator spoke the truth… but he was impatient. He wanted this burden lifted now.

It however, was not that simple. Even though he was not human, he had to experience these human emotions. He would have to experience the pain that all other humans felt from a great and terrible loss.

…

This had been a trial and error. But they **all** have learned from it well.

It had been almost five years since Raven, the young, English girl had escaped away from the robotic beings. Mau5 had discovered a taste of the outside world. And now, not only did he want more of that, but also he wanted to be apart of that world.

Daft Punk had used this to their advantage. It challenged their skills to make their creation as close to a human as possible, but still have him deliver the message they were sent here to give. They had even surpassed what was thought of as **impossible.**

"MAU5, KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED. DON'T TRY TO OPEN THEM DURING THIS PROCESS."

For three years, Thomas and Guy both worked more on tweaking Mau5's brain waves. They experiment and had hit a success. They found a way to take out the original animal DNA they had coded in him. They found it, struck it down, and rebuild Mau5's design. His mind had become complete. Now it was time to give him an **identity.**

"GUY, HAND ME THE NOVOCAINE. MAU5, WE'RE ABOUT TO PUT ASLEEP. ONCE YOU WAKE BACK UP, THE PROCEDURE WILL BE COMPLETE."

He could hardly wait.

Marie had worked with Mau5 on helping him come up with an identity. They had met with a special doctor who specialized in human features and faces. He studied them to help give mental therapy. The doctor, Herald G. Zimmerman, had helped Mau5 design his own identity.

In his honor and thanks, Mau5 took apart of the doctor into his identity. He had created a name for himself, a real human name. This was the last day he would be officially called Mau5.

The novocaine had hit him and he was out. He went into a blank and deep sleep.

…

…

…

"CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

He struggled to reply. His mouth felt strange. It was… small. Different.

"Y..yes." He managed. His voice was the same, but somehow it had a different tone to it.

"TRY AND OPEN YOUR EYES."

He twitched slightly. Gradually, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. Everything looked bright… but it was so beautiful. He had not seen the world like _this_ before.

His gaze fell onto Thomas, then Guy. They were both smiling at him, in their robotic way with the smiling icons on their faces. He felt himself return the smile. It was strange to smile. The skin on his face wrinkled differently. He then took his hands and felt his face. No fur… just skin.

"Where…. Where is a.."

"OVER HERE." Thomas said, gesturing to the wall to his right.

He struggled to walk, the novocaine still making his body weak. He made it over to the wall. His eyes went wide as his fingertips touched the edges of the small mirror softly.

_Who was that staring at me...?_

He looked long and hard. There was a feeling of absolute joy trying to come out, but he was still in so much surprise and shock.

"THIS IS YOU NOW. YOU ARE NO LONGER MAU5." Thomas said.

His hands came away from the mirror and back to his face. He felt the form of his new face. The shape, the texture… so smooth. So real.

"THIS IS THE NEW YOU," Thomas paused. "JOEL ZIMMERMAN."

"Joel…" he said, grinning again. The face of a young man beamed back at him. The hazel eyes, the short brown hair, the sharp nose… they were all real. He was absolutely amazed. "Joel… you are human."

Both the members of Daft Punk stood proudly as they watched their fully human creation marvel at what he had become.

All of this was his. This was he. He was Joel. He was…

"I am human."

...

...

...

_End._

_..._

_(AN: Thank you everyone for readying my story! I also appreciate all the reviews. Stay tune for an upcoming epilogue to this story of Mau5in Around! :))_


	25. Epilogue

"Alright class, midterms are almost here, so remember to study."

The class packed up their belongings and shuffled out of the room with no commotion, with no screaming, or complaining… just calm and civil.

_Damn, I love college._

She felt her phone vibrate. Once she was out of the classroom, she reached into her deep pockets and flipped it out. A smile came to her lips when she read the caller ID.

"Hey Alesia! Haven't heard from you in a while."

Raven walked down the halls of her community college and exited out with several other students. She happily chatted with her old high school friend that she had not talked with since graduation. She owed it to this friend of hers, because without her help, she wouldn't have been able to graduate. She had missed a huge chunk of school sometime in the spring. With Alesia's assistance, Raven was able to catch up and make the deadlines to graduate with the rest of her peers.

"Raven, I was wondering if we could hang out tonight for old time shakes!"

Raven thought. Tonight… was a Friday night. "Sure, why not? I'd love to. Wot do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could go to London and hang around the town. Maybe we could go shopping or catch a show?"

A bigger grin appeared on Raven's face. "Sounds wonderful. Where you want to meet?"

"How about the Metro station at Russell Square? At 19:00?"

"It's a plan."

…

Raven listened to her precious music of Scooter as she waited outside of the underground's entrance in the square. It was ten minutes until 19, so she had a little bit of time to kill before Alesia would show up.

A group of boys, probably just a bit younger than her were crowding around the bulletin board, which was covered in local ads. The kids were making quite a fuss about a certain ad. Curious, Raven lifted one of her headphones off her ears to listen in on their conversation.

"Bollocks, 'e's performing tonight! Bloody 'ell!"

"Who the fuck is 'e?"

Their accents were very thick. Raven slinked a bit closer… they were gesturing to a particular ad on the board that was just below their eye level. She wanted to see.

"'e's an upcoming DJ. 'e's been through 'ere before, I've seen 'im, and 'e's bloody great!"

One of the other boys shoved his fellow friend, "Oh jus' pack it in, and tell me wot's 'is name?"

"Look there, face ache!" The one who got shoved then jerked his friend's head toward the board.

"Don' touch me, punk!"

They both laughed and joked and threw fake throws at one another with their fists. Raven's curiosity was building. Who was it they were talking about?

One of the boys bent over and looked at the ad they were all blocking. "'ow the fuck you suppose to say that name? Dead… maufive?"

Raven's eyes went wide. _The bloody hell did he say?_

"It's probably… _**American**_!" One said in a whiny voice, sneering and still laughing.

"No, it says 'ere 'e's from Canada."

"The bloody 'ell is 'e doing in England then? Is 'e really that good?"

"I'm telling you-" said the original friend. The group began to walk off as he continued, "'e IS good. Let's go see 'im perform!"

Raven quickly walked over to the board full of ads in a hard trance. Her eyes were locked on a colorful poster just at her own eye level. The image of a red headed mouse figure smiled at her in the picture. Colors of different spotlights shown around him, as the idiotic face stared back at her.

'_Coming to London again: DEADMAU5!'_

Raven felt her stomach tighten. This opened her mind up to thoughts and memories she had locked away for so long.

…

After disappearing on a Friday night, about five years ago, she went with a story of being kidnapped when walking home from that rave. She didn't want _**anyone**_ to know of her real experience. The story she told went as after being taken to London and held captive, she finally got a chance and got away from her anonymous kidnapper and walked all the way home. Her mother tried to get her to describe who took her, but she just said he wore a black mask the whole time. She never saw his face.

…

This story, she told to so many people. No one, not even Alesia, or Michael or even her closest friend London, was told the **truth**. No one knew that this mouse musician had made a scar on her. She had done her best to cover it up, and forget all about it. But here… it had surfaced.

_You're… **Alive?**_

Memories were starting to rush back into her mind like a flood:

She saw the blue lights in the long, metallic hallways.

She saw the mouse like figure walking in front of her down those hallways, with his tail curling and coiling this way, and that.

She saw the bright red liquid shimmer and slosh in a medical syringe.

"Hey Raven!"

The voice was a muffled sound. Raven's eyes were staring fixed on the poster with great disbelief and slight horrified shock. There was a burning feeling that was rising over her.

"Raven!"

That horrible panic that was trying to bubble its way out was returning. _Was it really him? Was he alive? After all this time… and I thought__** you **__were dead. Could __**you**__ have survived?_

"…Raven?"

She jerked violently when a cold hand grabbed her arm. At that moment, the vision of a crazed looking Mau5 with blinding red eyes had lunged at her and pulled her arm out of its socket. The pain was not real, but she still went into absolute shock in that second. Once the image had vanished and she looked to see her friend Alesia standing next to her, she felt calm again, aside from her heart beating madly. Raven stared at her old friend from high school right next to her; dressed in a black, long sleeved sweater, a black skirt and black knee high stockings. She looked just the same as she remembered her. Alesia was looking up at her, her face reflecting a concerned stare and a sheepish smile.

"…You okay?" Alesia asked who was slightly scared by Raven's reaction. Raven nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine..." She then pointed to the bulletin in front of her: "Look."

Alesia turned and immediately her eyes caught the same poster. She gasped, "Wow, Raven! I remember him! He's back?"

"…It looks like it." Raven said.

"It also looks like he got bigger, popular wise." A smile appeared on her friend's face, telling Raven she had an idea. "Say, why don't we go walk by and listen to him play?"

Raven's body tensed. She tried to keep her composure. She didn't want to tip off clues to her friend.

"Sure, uh.." She paused and looked at the ad. "It looks like it's an outdoor concert."

"Oh, even better. That will make it easier to listen to him from afar."

Raven slowly nodded.

Alesia frowned. "You sure you are okay? You're awfully...fidgety. And kinda pale…"

"Yes, I'm fine." Raven gave a cover smile to her friend. "I'm just a little tired. Had a lot of work to go over in my class today."

Alesia nodded. "I understand. But hey!" She began, getting Raven to look back at her. She held her arms out, with a huge smile. "So glad to see you again!"

Raven smiled back, and embraced her friend in a hug. "Me too, you have no idea. I only talk to London these days. I don't get to hang out with any other old friends anymore."

"College tends to do that." Alesia said. She then leaned back to the poster to read the rest of the information on the board. "Green Park. He'll be performing at Green Park? Whoa, wot did he have to do to score a location like that?"

Raven had an idea. But all she said was, "Maybe he has good connections."

"Most likely." Then with that, Alesia slipped her arm around Raven's. "Wot do you say? Let's go shopping for an hour or so and then we can catch the metro down to Green Park?"

"Absolutely." Raven said. The two girls trotted off towards the narrow, winding streets.

…

The night sky rolled over quickly. The girls hurried to the underground station to catch the next bus heading southwest in the city.

"I wonder how the concert is laid out. You know, if it's a free show or not. Or is it sectioned off for people who have paid to see him in advance." Alesia mumbled out loud as they held on the overhead railing. Raven shrugged. She really didn't have the slightest clue. Right now, she was just trying to concentrate on staying calm and collected. The bus roared on to the next stop.

'_Now approaching Piccadilly Circus.'_

The overhead com of the robotic woman's voice was so clean and soothing. And yet, Raven felt her body tighten up when she heard it. She still felt so much panic. But she forced herself to stomach it. She had to. She had to see if this guy was really **him**. _But who the bloody hell would it have been otherwise?That name… and face… almost impossible to be a coincidental copy._

"Almost there, one more stop." Alesia said, her hair being tossed out of her face. She seemed to be teetering her weight from one foot to the other, almost to a certain tempo that she had in her head. Raven did her best to stand directly behind her friend in the train cart, to ensure that she could hide any signs of anxiety that her eyes might reflect. She kept her gaze looking out the large, plectsy glass windows, seeing nothing but darkness blurred with lights along the tunnels that the metro was snaking its way through.

"You excited, Raven?"

"Huh? Wot?" Raven asked, quickly looking away from the windows and back to her friend. Alesia was barely peering at her from over her shoulder. "Are you excited?" She repeated.

"Yeah, quite." Raven said, forcing another fake grin.

'_Now approaching Green Park.'_

The train began to slow down and came to a stop at the platform. At that moment, the doors slide open. There was almost a universal gasp among the two girls and everyone else in the car, right before everyone went into motion to either move or exit the train. Before Alesia could even say "Let's go!" both the girls were practically swept off their feet and being pushed out onto the platform for Greek Park's station.

"Bloody…" Raven cursed under her breath. "Is everyone going to Green Park this evening?"

"It-" Alesia began, before she was shoved by a man behind her. She quickly caught herself before falling over and continued, "…Sure seems like it." Now that it had become much more crowded, the shy side of Alesia was seen clearly. She always got like this when she was too close to too many people. Raven grabbed a hold of one of Alesia's hands and they both fought their way up the stairs and out the mouth of the underground entrance way. Once standing out in the open air again, they were still surrounded by a crowd of people. To their astonishment, **several **people were gathering around the Greek Park area.

"Bloody hell…" Raven whispered, her breath visible against the cold air. "It's like almost all of London is here to see this show."

"Maybe this DJ has gotten more popular than we thought." Alesia suggested.

Raven nodded, observing the area and looking for open spaces to move about the people. "I dun' think we're going to be able to get anywhere close to the stage."

Alesia frowned. "Awww, but I was looking forward to this…"

Deep down, Raven felt some relief that she would not be coming anywhere close to the possibility of seeing that Mau5 again. But the curiosity was still nagging her. She _**had**_ to know if it was him. Once she saw his face and him standing there up on the stage, she would know if he really was still alive.

"I have an idea." Raven said. "Follow me."

Alesia held onto Raven's arm as she guided her through the thick crowd. Slowly, she snaked them through and around the side street of Queen's Walk. "Where are we going?" Alesia asked.

"I'm going to take us to the back side of the park. From the looks of it, the crowd is packing around the North central part of the park… so the stage must be facing out to the South. On the South West side of the park, there's a huge, steep hill that we can go up to. We won't be close, but we should be able to hear the show and visibly see the stage."

Once the crowd condensed and finally, was completely gone, the girls were freely able to walk along the pathway and through the grand trees. The night are felt strikingly cold against their warm bodies, and they huddled themselves tightly in their jackets.

"You sure we will be able to see the stage well enough from the hill, Raven?" Alesia asked.

"Sure, I dun' see why not…" Raven said, shuttering slightly from the chilly wind.

"But… this is for you, Raven, your more into this kind of stuff. I want you to be able to enjoy it."

"And I will." Raven said, slightly chuckling at her friend.

They continued walking and could see the steep hill coming into view. Just before they could stray off the path and walk up to it, a voice cried out.

"Hey! You two! Where are you going?"

The two girls had been walking with their heads held low, and the instant they heard that call, they both looked up. They strained their eyes off into the dark to see who had spoken. A tall figure was walking towards them. He had a cheerful sort of walk to him.

Alesia shot a look over at Raven first. Raven looked back at her before she answered the man walking towards them. "We're going to sit on the hill."

"Why?" The man shouted at them. He was now a few meters away.

"Well… we wanted to see the show, but its much too crowded. We were going to see if we could see it well enough on the hill over there." She then gestured to the hill behind the man. But the man did not turn to see, he just kept striding towards them. Once he was only three or four meters away, Raven heard some sounds. Not even that… it was **music**. It was soft and faint. She was taken by surprised as she looked behind her. _No it was not coming from the stage… it was too soft. It was much closer._ She turned to Alesia then, who was also staring up at her, looking just as confused. She heard the music too.

Then they heard the man say, "You two should really move back closer to the performance. It's going to be wonderful~" His voice sounded delighted and a bit energetic. He finally made it up to them and stopped two arms length away. Now the music was clearer… it was… electronic. It sounded beautiful. It was nothing but simple synths and rhythms pulsing in and out, accompanied by a thick bass. Raven looked back to the man. _Was the music coming from him? He didn't appear to have any headphones in or a music player on him…_

The light from the performance area lit up his face as he glanced back and forth at them. Raven could tell he couldn't see their faces with the backlight, but he looked quite excited. He was dressed in a warm coat and had some nice black slack pants on. He looked very cold, but full of energy.

"Are… you one of the people working on the show?" Alesia asked shyly.

The man grinned and nodded his head dramatically. "Yep, and you really should see it. You'll love the music."

Raven continued to stare at this guy. His face was so strange. It was slender and boney and he had striking hazel eyes. His nose was a bit hooked shape and he had a very large and defined mouth. _And where the bloody hell was that music coming from?_ She didn't wish to ask, since it looked like the guy was unaware of it. "Uh, well… I suppose we shall go over and find a place."

Raven said, nodding.

The man looked back at her and suddenly, that excited smile he had on his face slowly vanished. He was staring at her now, in an absolute disbelief. His eyes had become large and this look of realization washed over him.

Raven hesitated. _Wots up with this bloke?_ "Something… wrong?" She asked.

The man only blinked several times and he chuckled. A warming smile came to his face and he shook his head in disbelief about something. Raven raised her eyebrows. The way he was looking at her… it was like he recognized her. As if he had known her from somewhere and had not seen her in a long time. But he didn't look familiar at all…

The man chuckled again, still shaking his head. "Ah… well, no… nothing is wrong. It's just…" He stopped and stared at her again. The look of disbelief was still written all over him, and it was making him loose his words. That chuckle… that **did**, however, sound familiar.

"Do... I know you?" Raven asked, starting to feel uncomfortable. She could tell Alesia was too from how closed she was now standing to her. Raven continued to look upon this man's face, studying his expressions and features. Nothing about his actual appearance triggered any memory of hers… but the way he looked at her; the way he held her in his gaze… there was something so familiar about it.

"Yes- Well no!" He suddenly said, putting his hands out in front of him and shaking them back and forth. "No, no… you just… you look like an old friend of mine." He said.

"Oh…"

The man hesitated. "You look… so much like her. Tell me~ what is your name?"

"Raven." She said.

The man, nodded slowly, giving small chuckles here and there, but still looking quite amazed. "R..Raven." He said, his voice shaking.

There was a horrible silence that followed. Both Alesia and Raven looked at each other, completely confused. They could still hear that faint music playing in the air. Now that they could really hear it… it also sounded familiar. The feel of it was… **captivating.** She remembered this feeling. But… _from where?_

"Hey… if you guys are worried about not seeing the show... why don't you come with me? I can get you close to the stage."

"Uh... Wow. You sure?" Raven said, slightly smiling.

"Yes, definitely. Come along, or you'll miss the show!" He grinned. With that he strode passed them and around the side of where the stage was set up. Both Raven and Alesia didn't hesitate; they followed him towards the lights in the park.

The man guided them around the backside of the stage. Immediately, Raven's eyes darted around the stage for a mouse face on someone. But she saw none… She was starting to hold her breath, the anticipation choking her.

"Stay in this area." The man said, holding his hands out in front of him. "This is where all the technicians move through. I'm going to go up on the stage now. Just stay here and you will be able to see the performance from the side. " He told them.

"Wot if the technicians tell us to move?"

The man then grinned large, revealing his teeth. "Just tell them that Joel said you could stand there."

With that, he vanished behind another curtain that had the whole back stage divided up. Once he was gone, both Raven and Alesia let out gasps of air. Alesia turned to look at her friend, her face reflecting a lot of nervous anxiousness. "Well…. He sure was… strange." She said softly.

"Yeah," Raven replied, her eyes now looking out onto the stage. "But nice. We scored a good view, I'd say."

It had only been about a minute, when suddenly the speakers became flooded with a bass. Both Raven and Alesia turned to look up towards the stage, as the crowd began screaming with excitement. At that moment, a figure came waltzing onto the stage. _There he was._

The tall, slender body of a man with a mouse like head walked up to the synthboards and began twisting and pulsing controls.

Raven stared, her jaw dropping wide open. _It __**really**__ was him._

He even had that idiotic face she remembered.

_However…_

The longer she stared, the more she noticed something wrong about his face. The expression… wasn't changing… at all. His eyes were not blinking, his mouth was not moving. His ears weren't even twitching.

_Was it… really him, then?_

_**Bummm, bum, bummmmmmm! BANG!**_

The bass dropped heavily and the beats and rhythms came soaring through the cold air of the park.

She listened hard. She stared hard. A buzz in the back of her skull was itching inside her, forcing her body to move. The people were moving, like out of control zombies. The lights were blaring in every which direction. This felt all to similar…

And the lyrics came in.

"_It's been so long, I've been out of my body with you~"_

Raven gasped. _That was his music, all right._

"_I feel alone, feel at home, feel like nothing is true~"_

If that was him… why did his face… now look like a mask?

The DJ suddenly grabbed a mic next to his board, and brought it up to his mouth. Raven was bewildered to see the mouth did not move at all as he spoke: "LONDON! How you doing tonight?"

The crowd screamed and jumped around wildly.

It was a mask. His face wasn't real.

"Raven! This music sounds awesome! Better than it was last time." Alesia said. Her friend could not take her eyes off the stage, nor stop moving to the beats.

Raven's eyebrows firmed as she struggled to determine if this really was the same Mau5 she remembered.

_But how could it…? Is face is fake… _

Then a memory came back; a specific memory from the day she had escaped this same city…

…

"_You'll be human."_

The image of the warn-down, Mau5 DJ standing in the doorway stood before her. The very sight of him made her feel both pity and disgust. But he stood there, just the same, his face reflecting hope and disbelief, somehow, at the very same time.

…

Those were the last words she had spoken to him. At the time, she never considered it possible.., _But__maybe…_

The music had come to an end. At that moment, the DJ, brought his hands to his face and he grabbed the bottom area of what would be the Mau5's jaw. He lifted the Mau5 face off his shoulders.

"Whoa!" Alesia gasped.

Raven's eyes went wide.

There was a human face; the same man that had brought them back to the stage.

Raven felt her body quiver as the realization now struck her. "…Mau5…" She whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight!" He shouted to the crowd as they cheered back in response.

_So__you've become human after all…_ At this point, she didn't know whether she felt scared, happy or nervous. The three emotions were toppling over each other inside of her. And yet… another fourth emotion was trying to come out… for this new human Mau5.

She felt proud.

She didn't think he could achieve it… but it was clear he had reached his goal of becoming human. There was not a single thing about him that still appeared rodent-like. The small tears trickled down her cold face as a huge smile stretched from ear to ear.

"This next song goes out to all you ladies! Hope this brings the thoughts of your special someone to mind~" the DJ sang happily in the mike.

The new song began, light and quick. Raven instantly recognized it.

**Strobe.**

There wasn't anything else she could say or emotion to express. So she brought her right hand into a tight fist, and lifted it into the air. She closed her eyes, and listened well as the beautiful synths and sounds of Strobe echoed around the crowd. This was going to be a night she would make sure she would remember.

_Here is to you, you idiot rat. Here is for being human after all._

_Here… is to the Mau5._


End file.
